MINNEAPOLIS — For the third time in his 26-year career as sports information director at Augsburg University, Don Stoner has received an award from the National Wrestling Media Association, being named as its 2021-22 Small College SID of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday.
Stoner is the first sports information director to ever receive the NWMA SID of the Year award three times, since the award was established in 1991-92. He shared an all-divisions award with Mark Adkins, then the SID at Wartburg (Iowa), in the 2003-04 school year. The award was later split into Division I and Small College divisions, and Stoner received the Small College SID of the Year award in 2012-13. The NWMA solicits nominees for the award from its wrestling media members and sports information directors, and the awards are voted on by NWMA members.
John Peterson grew up loving wrestling out in the western part of Minnesota. With two twin brothers who excelled, it was easy for him to follow their opponents from around the state. As Peterson got older, he took his love for the sport and his passion for broadcasting and put them together. On Episode 42 of The Guillotine Grapevine, we talk to the Fertlie, Minn., native about his broadcasting career and how some graduate work at St. Cloud State led him to be named the National Wrestling Media Association’s Broadcaster of the Year for 2017-18.