June 16, 2009

Edward Matejkovic, West Chester University, Northeast Region

In his 14th year leading the West Chester University athletics department, Athletics Director Ed Matejkovic has led the department to new heights. The Golden Rams captured five Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) team titles during both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns. As a result, West Chester has claimed runner-up finishes in the Dixon Trophy standings and recorded a program-best 12th place finish in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings in each of the past two seasons. In all, West Chester has won 50 conference championships and two NCAA championships during his tenure. A large part of this unprecedented athletics success for the Golden Rams is due to Matejkovic's efforts to grow scholarship allotments, along with increasing the number of full-time head and assistant coaches across the 24 intercollegiate programs. Additionally, Matejkovic has helped spearhead a facility upgrade movement that has resulted in numerous improvements to the University's athletics facilities. Matejkovic's experience and success as an athletics administrator have earned him involvement in several conference, regional and national committees. Most notably, he is the President of the Division II Athletics Directors Association. An active member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Matejkovic has also served on the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, D-II Degree Completion Committee, regional golf and basketball committee and was also appointed by the NCAA to the Football Task Force -- a committee reviewing scholarship allocations in the sport. He has also served as the president of the PSAC and the ECAC.

Eddie Aenchbacher, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Southeast Region

Eddie Aenchbacher announced his retirement, effective April 1, 2009, after leading the Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) athletics department for 14 years. The transformation the program underwent during his tenure has been nothing short of miraculous. Aenchbacher, a 1979 graduate of the university, was a standout student-athlete for the Pirates on the baseball diamond. He also coached the Pirate cross country teams for five years and started the first AASU men's soccer team, which he was at the helm of for seven seasons. During his tenure, AASU's athletics programs have had tremendous success in the classroom. Student-athletes have excelled in academics, with 56 percent of them recording a GPA of 3.0 or higher under Aenchbacher's leadership. The overall grade point average of AASU student-athletes is 2.97, which is higher than the overall institutional GPA. In 2007-08, the AASU athletics department enjoyed unprecedented success on and off the playing field as the men's and women's tennis teams each captured the NCAA Division II National Championships, while three AASU student-athletes earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors.

Suzanne Sanregret, Michigan Technological University, Central Region

Suzanne Sanregret became the first woman to hold the athletics director title at Michigan Tech in May 2005.  She is currently in her fourth year leading the department.  Prior to her appointment as AD, Sanregret was the Huskies' assistant athletics director.  She is a graduate of Michigan Tech and is in her 16th overall year with the athletics department. Sanregret directs a 13-sport varsity athletics program at Michigan Tech with 12 of those sports participating in NCAA Division II and men's ice hockey playing at the NCAA Division I level.  Sanregret serves as the chair of the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee. She is also a member of the NCAA Division II Championship Committee and the NCAA Division II Management Council. In the past, she has served as a member and chair of the NCAA Division II Legislation Committee and NCAA Division II Legislative Review Subcommittee. Sanregret is also involved in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, serving as chair of the Long Range Planning and Gender Equity Committees, and is a member of several others. She also serves on several committees within the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Keith Baker, Grand Canyon University, West Region

Grand Canyon University (GCU) Director of Athletics Keith Baker has worn multiple hats at the institution he attended, competed for and has been employed by since the early 1980s. As a student-athlete, Baker pitched on the institution's first three NAIA National Championship baseball teams (1980-82).  He also holds the distinction of throwing the program's most recent no-hitter against Nebraska Wesleyan University on March 11, 1982.   After graduation, Baker was hired as Grand Canyon's Sports Information Director. He worked in that capacity from 1983-1990 before becoming assistant athletics director. He was named the university's director of athletics in 1996. While serving as athletics director, Baker also coached the men's golf team at GCU from 2002-08. He guided the Antelopes to three straight NCAA Division II National Championships from 2006-08, finishing in the top-12 in the nation in each of those seasons.   Baker continues to offer his talents as a broadcaster, public address announcer and photographer at Grand Canyon, while serving as the AD. He has been a model representative of the university, upholding its core values as a Christian institution.