TERRY WANLESS NAMED WEST REGION FCS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

6/16/2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State Director of Athletics Terry Wanless has been named the Under Armour West Region Athletic Director of the Year for the Football Championship Subdivision, it was announced today at the NACDA Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Wanless was one of 29 athletic directors to be honored in eight overall categories. One athletic director was named for the northeast, southeast, central and west regions for schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Football Championship Subdivision, Div.  I schools without football, Div. II, Div. III, junior colleges and NAIA. There was also one selection from international institutions.

In seven years at Sacramento State, Wanless has overseen unprecedented levels of success. The Hornets won eight conference titles in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and was named as the 36th-most successful Div. I program by SI.com in July of 2008. Sacramento State has also captured three of the past four Causeway Cups which is awarded based on head-to-head competition against UC Davis.

In the classroom, Wanless' commitment to academic excellence was evident in the fact that 93 Sacramento State student-athletes in 33 majors graduated in the past year. In addition, 297 Hornet student-atheltes posted overall grade point averages of 3.0 or better during the 2007-08 school year.

Sacramento State has also seen unparalleled physical growth in its athletics facilities during the past year. In May of 2008, Hornet football, track & field and cross country moved into the newly constructed Eli & Edythe Broad Fieldhouse, a $12 million state-of-the-art facility that houses offices and locker rooms, a 6,000 square-foot weight room, modern athletic training and hydrotherapy facilities, and nearly 2,000 square feet of smart-technology meeting room space.

The Broad Fieldhouse also has the distinction of being the first building built on campus to be funded completely by private donations.

Additionally, the track and facility — which has served as the host site for four NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championships and one U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials during Wanless' tenure — recently opened a $300,000 hammer, discus and shot put throws area that now rivals any throwing venue in the nation.

Along with hosting national championships in track and field, Sacramento State has also hosted the NCAA Div. I women's volleyball championship as well as the NCAA women's rowing championship in the last seven years.