WBCA honors ACC's McGlade

Bernadette McGlade, assistant commissioner for women's basketball operations at the Atlantic Coast Conference, has been named Administrator of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

McGlade is the chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee, and she also was a member of the NCAA Division I Working Group to Study Basketball Issues that developed a recently approved legislative package to change the culture of Division I basketball.

The WBCA presents the award annually to an athletics administrator who has excelled at encouraging the growth and quality of women's basketball programs and women's athletics programs overall. The winner also must have served as a professional role model for student-athletes.

"Bernadette is one of our biggest allies, and we appreciate all she has done for the sport of women's basketball," said Beth Bass, WBCA executive director.

"She has a passion for the game, and we are honored to present her with the WBCA Administrator of the Year Award."

McGlade has served on numerous ACC committees, including committees for women's basketball, television, gender equity and NCAA compliance.

In 1993, she was tournament director for the Women's Final Four in Atlanta. She also served as the 1996 Olympic Games liaison for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.

McGlade, who earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, came to the ACC from Georgia Tech, where she spent 17 years.

McGlade was the first full-time women's basketball coach at Georgia Tech when she was hired in 1981. At that time, she also was the youngest Division I women's head coach at the age of 22. McGlade coached the team until 1988.

In 1987, McGlade became associate director of athletics at the school, assuming responsibilities for sports program operations, NCAA compliance and the "Total Person" program. During her time at Georgia Tech, McGlade also served as the senior associate director of athletics for sport programs and as special assistant to the director of athletics.

McGlade was presented with the award at the Jostens-Berenson Awards Brunch, part of the WBCA's national convention that was held in Philadelphia in conjunction with the 2000 Women's Final Four.

Small-time tales

A new nonfiction book, "Tales from the Small Time: A Celebration of Small College Athletics," written by the former sports information director at Chapman University, gives an inside look at the joys of Division III athletics competition.

Author Jim Moore, who worked for five years as the SID at Chapman, has won numerous awards for his people profiles and essays

about the small-college experience.

The book explores universal themes of college athletics programs and includes chapters on the special flavor of small-college rivalries and the balance of academics and athletics in Division III. It also includes a number of feature stories about student-athletes from all walks of life who found their niche in small-college sports.

For more information, contact the Chapman sports information office at 714/997-6900 or send an e-mail to daiken@chapman.edu.

Four is favorite number

Teams from the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) made it to the NCAA semifinals in men's ice hockey and in women's basketball -- all on the same weekend in March -- creating a ticklish situation for one family.

St. Thomas men's hockey coach Terry Skrypek, in his 13th year at the school, packed his bags for the Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship in Superior, Wisconsin. Also on board for the Wisconsin trip were his son, Bryan Skrypek, a freshman on the team, and his nephew, Tom Skrypek, a junior on the team.

Meanwhile, Skrypek's youngest daughter, Brianna Skrypek, a sophomore on the women's basketball team, packed her bags for the Division III Women's Basketball Championship in Danbury, Connecticut.

Valerie Skrypek, wife, mom and aunt, had to decide where to go -- Wisconsin or Connecticut. With some guilt, she went to Wisconsin.

The Tommies took second in hockey and third in women's basketball. And as for the Skrypeks -- they wouldn't mind having this same problem every year.

--Compiled by Kay Hawes

Looking back

5 years ago: The NCAA Council supports a restructuring proposal that would maintain a national Association with core values and purposes but would provide each division with its own governance structure. The Council amended the proposal to ensure diverse representation, both in gender and race as well as in job responsibilities, within the governance structure. The proposal will by considered by the Presidents Council during its summer meeting before coming to a vote at the 1996 NCAA Convention. (The NCAA News, May 3, 1995)

10 years ago: The NCAA Executive Committee approves a Football Rules Committee recommendation to narrow the width of the goalposts by almost four feet for the 1991 season. The Football Rules Committee had requested the change be made for the 1990 season, but the Executive Committee delayed implementation of the rule to allow schools to budget for the change. The Executive Committee also approves a rules committee recommendation that a 25-second clock be used beginning in the 1992 season. (The NCAA News, May 9, 1990)

15 years ago: More than 38,000 orders requesting more than 134,000 tickets are received for the 1986 Men's Final Four at Reunion Arena in Dallas. About 42 percent of the orders are from Texas, but all 50 states are represented in the requests. Oklahoma, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana followed Texas in states with the most requests. (The NCAA News, May 1, 1985)