Kansas City, Mo. - Women Leaders in College Sports (Women Leaders) recently announced its 2023 award recipients and former Springfield College Director of Athletics, Dr. Cathie Schweitzer was chosen for a Nike Lifetime Achievement Award.
Schweitzer is among the four individuals chosen for the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award, along with Dr. Jean Cerra of Barry University, Jean Lenti Ponsetto of DePaul University, and Delores "Dee" Todd from the Atlantic Coast Conference. These recipients will be recognized at the Women Leaders National Convention held in New Orleans from October 8-10th.
"We are thrilled to celebrate this group of outstanding women who are blazing trails in the sports industry," says Patti Phillips, CEO of Women Leaders in College Sports. "These women are the definition of leaders and innovators. They are highly deserving of their awards, and we can't wait to honor them in New Orleans."
Schweitzer became the first female director of athletics on Alden Street in 2000 after serving as associate athletic director for the previous four years. Under Schweitzer's direction, Springfield captured 59 conference championships, had 24 individual national champions, and eight team national champions. Thanks to the on-field success, Springfield College finished in the top 25 of the Learfield Directors Cup five times during her tenure, including an institution-best 13th place during the 1999-2000 campaign. She instilled a commitment to giving back to the community as Springfield College Athletics continually received the Jostens/National Association Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA) Community Service Award.
For her efforts, she earned multiple national honors, including NACWAA Division III Administrator of Year, NACDA AstroTurf Northeast Division III Athletic Director of the Year, and ECAC Female Administrator of the Year, was chosen to be inducted into the Springfield College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020, and became the first-ever Springfield College Director of Athletics to be inducted into the NACDA Hall of Fame. Schweitzer served as President of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators, and in 2004, was elected the chair of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Selection Committee. In addition, she was a sought-after presenter at NCAA and NACDA Conventions on issues such as gender equity, coaching evaluations, and fundraising. She retired from Springfield College in 2015.
Before coming to Springfield College, she held teaching, coaching, and sports administration positions at Albion College, Iowa, Grinnell College, Oklahoma and Bowling Green.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime (Football) and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.
(Photo and release courtesy of Springfield Sports Information)