Release courtesy of Wes Frahm and The MTU Athletic Communications & Marketing Dept.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Michigan Technological University athletic director Suzanne Sanregret will receive the Under Armour Division II Central Region Athletic Director of the Year Award Saturday (June 20) at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention. The Huskies’ fourth-year athletic director will be one of only four from Division II to gain the honor. The award will be presented during the James J. Corbett Luncheon at the World Center Marriott Resort.

Since becoming the first woman to hold the athletic director position at Tech in May 2005, Sanregret has continued the program’s high level of athletic and academic success. Eight teams and numerous individuals have qualified for the NCAA Championships over the last four years. Dozens of student-athletes have been recognized nationally for their academics. As a whole in 2007-08, Michigan Tech had the most student-athletes with at least a 3.5 grade point average of any institution in NCAA Division II.

Sanregret has worked tirelessly to make capital improvements to Michigan Tech’s facilities. The John MacInnes Student Ice Arena has received new seating and flooring, and construction is underway on new suites in the 37-year-old hockey arena. New synthetic turf and lights have been installed at Sherman Field as the first phase of a stadium renovation project, with seating and a fieldhouse also in the plans. The SDC Gym and Gates Tennis Center have both received new playing surfaces.

“Suzanne’s leadership and quiet competence have set the tone for our programs,” said Michigan Tech president Glenn D. Mroz. “Our student-athletes and teams represent the University extremely well because of the great commitment to balance athletic success and academic achievement across all sports.

“Suzanne’s guidance and foresight have also allowed us to enhance our facilities, and therefore the experiences of our student-athletes and fans.”

Sanregret serves on a number of national and league committees. She is a member of the NCAA Division II Management Council, the chair of the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee and a member of the NCAA Championships Committee. Sanregret is also involved in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, serving as chair of the Long Range Planning and Gender Equity Committees. She serves on several committees within the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Athletic Director of the Year honorees were nominated by their peers and voted upon by a NACDA Special Selection Committee composed of current and former directors of athletics, NCAA and NAIA presidents and conference commissioners. Nominators were NACDA-member directors of athletics, institutional presidents and conference commissioners.

Sanregret was nominated by Wayne State University Director of Athletics Rob Fournier. “I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of outstanding athletic directors in both Division I and Division II and Suzanne has all the qualities of the best,” said Fournier. “She is analytical, deliberative and professional, and her efforts can be measured nationally as a member of management council, in our conference as chair and mastermind of our long-range strategic plan and her success at Tech. Suzanne has distinguished herself and her institution in a time of great challenge and economic restraint.”

NACDA, now in its 45th year, is the professional and educational association for more than 6,500 college athletics administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 2,300 athletics administrators annually attend the NACDA Convention. Additionally, NACDA administers 11 professional associations for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics director.