FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Lorie Robinette was honored as WHAC Athletic Trainer of the Year and men's and women's golf coach Andrew Ioanou was awarded the Rob Miller Coach of Character Award at the end-of-year Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference meetings.
Here is an excerpt from Robinette's nomination:
"Lorie is a dedicated athletic trainer who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to serve our student-athletes. Lorie goes above and beyond for our 730 student-athletes across 28 sport programs. For example, when a student-athlete requires surgery, she is there with the athlete and assists in any pre- and post-operation needs.
Not only does Lorie take exceptional care of our student-athletes, she also assists visiting athletes when necessary. These qualities and passion for athletic training and the well-being of all student-athletes set Lorie apart from others.
Lorie is a huge advocate for our student-athletes. She believes that our junior varsity/reserve athletes deserve the same respect and treatment that our varsity athletes receive. Lorie has been an instrumental ally in the battle with mental health issues that our student athletes face. She advocates for them and is someone whom our athletes trust when they need someone to talk too. She travels with our teams to WHAC tournaments and Nationals along with spring break trips.
In addition to her commitment to our student-athletes, Lorie has taken time to lead and teach CPR training to all our coaches, graduate assistants and staff. Lorie teaches exercise science and athletic training courses at Siena to prepare the next generation of athletic trainers. Lorie also teaches/supervises multiple interns each semester.
In her free time, she volunteers at local high school sporting events to share her expertise. Thus, Lorie has brought honor to Siena Heights, the profession and the NAIA. Lorie's commitment to Siena is admirable. She is a 19-year veteran. Her ability to provide care in a positive way is something our student athletes appreciate and respect. She leads her staff by example and is a great mentor. Her ability to make others laugh while serving the community makes Lorie a great candidate to receive this award."
Ioanou was the WHAC Champion of Character coach for both men's and women's golf. Here is an excerpt from his nomination:
"Coach Ioanou is unlike most golf coaches in the fact that he is a gym-rat and his men's and women's golfers follow suit with frequent gym sessions. I have never seen a golf team use the weight room more than Andrew Ioanou's student-athletes. They are in there in big groups 4-5 times per week; he is a leader and coach for the student-athletes – many of whom possess different body-types – as he guides them through the different workouts. The camaraderie is infectious, and you can see how this helps form the team bond, especially in a sport which is typically individual. Fitness is important for both physical and mental health and Coach Ioanou definitely promotes this among his teams.
Along with promoting fitness amongst his teams, Coach Ioanou also has them partake in community service projects, including kids camps for First Tee Charity."
