Fred Stabley Sr. Awards Release
Creative and Digital Design Contest Release
 
June 15, 2026 – The North Central College Athletics Communication office was recognized for excellence in writing, creative and digital design, and overall communications achievement at the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Annual Convention, held June 7-10 in Las Vegas.
 
Director of Athletics Communication Nicholas Osterloo was formally presented with the NCAA Division III Sports Information Directors Association (D3SIDA) Region 5 Communicator of the Year award, an honor announced last August. The award recognizes an individual for exceptional work in creative content and storytelling, as well as the ability to navigate difficult decisions within the profession.

North Central also earned four district honors in the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest where nearly 500 articles were submitted across seven categories.

Associate Director of Athletics Communication Taiah Gallisath won the District 5 College Division Season Recap/Preview category for her "2025-26 Women's Wrestling Season Preview," while Graduate Assistant Alex Mielcarz earned runner-up honors in the same category for his "2025 Women's Golf Season Preview."

Graduate Student Rachel Balinao claimed runner-up honors in the Event Coverage category with her national championship recap, "Four-Peat Glory for North Central with Smeed's First National Crown," covering the Cardinals' triathlon team. Osterloo also earned runner-up recognition in the Social Justice/Diversity category for his National Girls and Women in Sports Day feature, "2025 Cleo Tanner Award Winner: Katie McNeela '14."

The Athletics Communication student staff also received national recognition in CSC's Creative and Digital Design Contest, where 2,565 submissions were received from 270 different institutions. Junior videographer Justyn Ferrara earned 12 recognitions for his work throughout the year, and senior graphic designer Cassie Schneider also received multiple honors.
 
In the Hype/Pre-Game Video category, Ferrara placed ninth and 14th in the College Division rankings, with his men's lacrosse hype video also earning fourth place in the "Best of Division III" rankings. In the Short Form Videos/Reels category, Ferrara had three videos finish among the top seven in the College Division. His North Central Football Playoff hype video was selected as the "Best of Division III" entry, while his North Central Football Bell Game hype video and men's lacrosse hype video placed third and fifth, respectively. Among student worker submissions, Ferrara's football playoff hype video was named "Best of Student Workers," while his Bell Game and men's lacrosse videos finished third and fourth.
 
Within graphic design, Schneider's Football Fear the Bird poster earned fifth place in the "Best of Division III" rankings in the Poster category and was selected as the "Best of Student Workers." Schneider also received recognition in the Special Projects – Graphics category for her Black History Month design, which placed 18th overall in the College Division, sixth among Division III entries, and fourth among student worker submissions.
 
The annual CSC Convention promotes professional development and networking opportunities for communications professionals across collegiate athletics. Osterloo and Gallisath both served as roundtable presenters during the convention, with Osterloo leading a session focused on statistics and Gallisath presenting on writing.