The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Chris Plonsky named NACWAA Division I-A Administrator of the Year
09.08.2004 | Texas Athletics
WILMINGTON, N.C. - The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) announced Wednesday that Chris Plonsky, University of Texas Women's Athletics Director and Director of Men's/Women's Athletics External Services, was selected as the 2003-04 NCAA Division1-A Administrator of the Year.
The Administrator of the Year Awards are presented to NACWAA members for significant contributions made as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics. This award, recognizing administrative excellence, is presented annually to a NACWAA member in NCAA Divisions I-A, I-AA, I-AAA; Division II; Division III; NAIA/Junior/Community Colleges; and Conferences/Organizations.
Honorees will accept their awards at the NACWAA Fall Forum in New York City in October. The forum takes place Saturday-Tuesday, Oct. 9-12, 2004.
Plonsky is in her third year as Texas Women's AD and director of men's and women's athletics external services, where she directs all the department's corporate sponsorship and advertising, broadcasting, photography and news media/internet services. She is in her 17th year of association with UT.
In 2003-04, Texas recorded a Big 12 Conference-best five women's titles (in basketball, golf, swimming and diving, tennis and outdoor track & field), and eight of the Longhorns' 11 teams advanced to their respective NCAA Championship tournaments or meets. Top NCAA finishes were turned in by the outdoor women's track and field team (fourth nationally), golf (tied for sixth), indoor track and field (seventh), swimming and diving (eighth), while basketball advanced to its third consecutive NCAA "Sweet 16". Texas women's teams have now earned 16 Big 12 titles under Plonsky's direction.
Texas also prospered in the classroom in 2003-04, as 60 percent of Texas female student-athletes had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better - up four percent from the year prior - and there were 38 perfect 4.0 GPA's registered during the fall and spring semesters. In addition, the overall GPA for the 2004 spring semester of all female student-athletes was 3.131, an all-time best, and the current cumulative GPA for UT female student-athletes heading into 2004-05 is an impressive 3.123 - best-ever in Texas women's athletics history. UT female athletes earned a total of 209 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll awards last year.
Also in 2003-04, Plonsky completed her term as NCAA Management Council chair. She is currently the Big 12 representative to the NCAA Division I Management Council and is a current member of the USA Basketball Executive Committee as VP for Women's Programs and as the chair of USA Basketball's Women's Collegiate Committee. The last two years, Plonsky also served on the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Executive Committee. She was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Hall of Fame in 2003, and she is also a past president of NACMA.
The other NACWAA Administrator of the Year awards will be presented to: Sondra Norrell-Thomas, Howard University (Division I-AA); Peg Bradley-Doppes, North Carolina at Wilmington (Division I-AAA); Jane Meier, Northern Kentucky University (Division II); Connee Zotos, Drew University (Division III); Ann Wellham, Garrett College (NAIA/Junior/Community Colleges); and Athena Yiamouyiannis from the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (Conferences/Organizations).