GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado University athletic communications office took third place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's 2019-20 J.W. Campbell/Con Marshall Sports Information Department of the Year voting released Monday by the conference.

It's the first time since the top three have been announced by the RMAC (2014) that the Mountaineers have finished in the top three. The voting is done by each of the RMAC's 16 sports information departments with each providing their top three choices (departments can't vote for themselves).

"Assistant Sports Information Director Zach Walsh and myself are honored our fellow RMAC SIDs have voted us into the top three," Western Colorado Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Clayton Jones said. "Being our first full year in athletic communications at Western, Zach and I are fortunate that so much was already in place along with the great cooperation we receive from our fantastic coaches and fellow administrators. Also, I'm beyond appreciative of the hard work our communication interns and work study students put in to help make it all happen."

The award is presented to the sports information department with the greatest impact during the most recent academic year. Colorado School of Mines won the award this year with Dixie State taking second.

It's the second year in a row Jones has led a communications department to a top-three RMAC finish after guiding New Mexico Highlands to third place in 2019 - NMHU's first ever top-three finish. For Walsh, it's his first RMAC top-three finish in his first full-time year in athletic communications after graduating from Western Colorado in 2018.

The award is named after two RMAC Hall of Fame sports information directors. J.W. Campbell was a long-time SID at Western Colorado. He was also the assistant to the Western President, an assistant professor teaching seven separate disciplines and was the school's information director. Campbell also co-authored two books and wrote numerous articles for magazines and trade publications. He passed away in March 2000 and was inducted into the RMAC Hall of Fame in 2007.
 
Con Marshall spent 36 years as a Sports Information Director at Chadron State College. He was inducted into the RMAC Hall of Fame in 2014. A native of Chadron, Nebraska and a CSC graduate, Marshall's name was added to the award in 2007. He has received a 25-year award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and served on the Harlon Hill Award Selection Committee. Marshall is currently the Information Services Officer for Chadron State, but still dedicates his time and resources to the sports information department whenever possible.