PAC announces lineup for annual Football Media Day

7/24/2019 2:40:00 PM

GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--This year’s Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Football Media Day will be held Tuesday, August 6 in Latrobe, Pa. The PAC also announced the student-athletes expected to be in attendance alongside their respective head coaches Wednesday afternoon.

Saint Vincent College will host the league’s media day for the 13th-straight year. The annual event serves as the PAC's kickoff to the football season, with each of the conference's 10 head coaches and player representatives addressing the media and previewing the upcoming season.

The PAC Sports Network (PACSN) will be on site to provide a live stream of the event, which will be available at pacstream.net.

Following a brief welcome by PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko, Dr. David Barner, professor of broadcast communications and chair of the School of Communication at Westminster College, will be honored as this year’s recipient of the Dow Carnahan Media Award.

Carnahan, a longtime supporter and friend of the PAC, passed away unexpectedly on April 29, 2016. The award is presented annually to a distinguished member of the media or on-campus representative for his or her commendable service while covering and promoting the conference’s student-athletes, coaches and programs.

Entering his 39th year at Westminster, Dr. Barner has served as department chair since 1994. A devoted supporter of Westminster and its athletic programs, he was presented with the College’s Honorary Titan Award for significant contributions to the athletic program in 1999. He has taught a variety of courses throughout his career while encouraging students to involve themselves in a variety of broadcasting experiences both on-air and behind-the-scenes.

An engaged member of the Westminster campus community, Dr. Barner is an active recruiter of students interested in the College’s School of Communication and assists with a variety of admissions activities. He has worked with numerous committees on campus, including the Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC) and Planning, Budget and Institutional Research Council (PBIRC). He has also served as chair of the Instructional Resources Committee (IRC).

In addition to hosting a weekly public service interview show titled "Roundtable" on the College’s radio station, WWNW, 88.9-FM, and serving as the play-by-play announcer for Titan football and basketball, Dr. Barner is also a co-advisor of The Holcad, Westminster’s award-winning, weekly student newspaper that allows students to gain valuable experiences managing, editing and delivering information to the community.

A member of the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters (PAB), Dr. Barner helped Westminster secure three PAB educational grants for radio station improvements.

Dr. Barner earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Shippensburg University before completing his doctorate in educational communications at the University of Pittsburgh.

“I always admired Dow Carnahan as a broadcaster,” said Barner. “To receive an award named in his memory and based on his qualities is an honor of a lifetime.”

After the Dow Carnahan Media Award presentation, the conference's head coaches and player representatives will answer questions about the upcoming season. Each coach and player representative will be available for individual interview sessions following the general Q&A session.

Media members in attendance, along with each institution's head coach and sports information director (SID), will participate in a preseason poll to determine the projected conference finish for the 2019 season. Full poll results will be released at the conclusion of the event and available at pacathletics.org.

Media members interested in attending PAC Football Media Day, an invitation-only event, should contact PAC Assistant Commissioner Kevin Fenstermacher at 724-456-7897 or by email at fenstermacher@pacathletics.org.

Westminster will open the league’s non-conference schedule Thursday, Sept. 5 (6:30 p.m.) at home against Capital University. The remaining nine teams will be in action on Saturday, Sept. 7. The PAC slate will get underway on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Below are the coaches and student-athletes expected to appear at this year's PAC Football Media Day:

Bethany College

Bill Garvey Head coach Seventh year		Daniel Gibson Senior defensive tackle Braddock, Pa. \| Woodland Hills

Carnegie Mellon University

Rich Lackner Head coach 34th year		Long Tran Senior defensive end Harrisburg, Pa. \| Susquehanna Township

Case Western Reserve University

Greg Debeljak Head coach 16th year		Drew Saxton Sophomore quarterback South Fayette, Pa. \| South Fayette

Geneva College

Geno DeMarco Head coach 27th year		Tyler Cann Senior linebacker Lehighton, Pa. \| Lehighton

Grove City College

Andrew DiDonato Head coach Fourth year		Wesley Schools Senior running back Port Jervis, N.Y. \| Port Jervis

Saint Vincent College

Aaron Smetanka Head coach First year		Sam Nowicki Senior wide receiver Greensburg, Pa. \| Greensburg Central Catholic

Thiel College

Mike Winslow Head coach First year		Matt Crawford Senior linebacker Greenville, Pa. \| Greenville

Washington & Jefferson College

Mike Sirianni Head coach 17th year		Jordan West Senior running back Washington, Pa. \| Washington

Waynesburg University

Chris Smithley Head coach Third year		Alex Paulina Senior offensive lineman Canonsburg, Pa. \| Canon-McMillan

Westminster College

Scott Benzel Head coach Sixth year		Cameron Mika Junior offensive lineman Apollo, Pa. \| Kiski Area

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PAC announces lineup for annual Football Media Day