May 14, 2010 8:43:24 AM

Chris Plonsky, the director of women's athletics at Texas, has been named the recipient of the "Trailblazer Award" by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

The award is presented annually to a pioneer in sports information who has helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within CoSIDA.

Plonsky began her career in athletics administration career as a sports information director at Iowa State from 1979-82. She held the same position at Texas before leaving to become the director of public relations of the Big East Conference in 1986.

She returned to Texas in 1993 as associate athletics director for external services.

For the last eight years, she has been the director of women's athletics, designated as the institution's senior woman administrator and the director of men's and women's athletics external services.

Plonsky will receive her award on July 6 at the CoSIDA convention in San Francisco.