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MIAC to honor Rachel Blount with Mike Augustin Award

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is proud to announce Star Tribune sports reporter Rachel Blount as the recipient of the 2023-24 Mike Augustin Award. The honor is issued annually by the conference's sports information directors in recognition of outstanding media contributions to MIAC athletic programs and their student-athletes.

"Rachel Blount has done a tremendous job in telling the stories of MIAC sports and student-athletes for many years," Augsburg University sports information director Don Stoner said. "She cares deeply about the student-athletes she reports on, which is clearly evident in the quality of the stories she tells." 

Since joining the Star Tribune in 1990, Blount has covered a host of topics including the Olympics, Minnesota Wild, and college athletics. Blount's work has regularly showcased the MIAC and its student-athletes.

"The MIAC embodies all the best qualities of college sports: integrity, sportsmanship, community, athletic excellence, and academic opportunity," Blount said. "It's been a privilege to tell its stories over the years."

Blount has also been a vocal advocate for women in sports. In addition to her own print coverage, Blount lent her professional insight to the College of Saint Benedict for a panel discussion on gender bias in sports media coverage and also served as a guest presenter for the inaugural Midwest Division III Sports Information Directors Convention co-hosted by the MIAC and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in 2015.

"On behalf of the MIAC's SIDs, we are proud to honor Rachel with the 2023-24 Mike Augustin Award and welcome her into the esteemed group of communicators that have received this award over the years," Stoner said.

The Mike Augustin Award was first presented by the MIAC in 1999. Mike Augustin was a longtime sportswriter at the Pioneer Press and was an articulate friend, follower, and advocate of the MIAC. The Conference established the award in his honor following Augustin's death from a sudden illness in December of 1997.

Blount was selected as this year's MIAC Mike Augustin Award recipient by the Conference's sports information directors at their annual business meeting in August. She is the first woman in MIAC history selected to receive the award.

"I've been inspired by so many of the MIAC athletes, coaches, and athletic staff I've met during my career, and it's been a joy to share that with readers," Blount said. "Thank you to the league for this honor!"

Blount will formally receive the award on Saturday, February 10 during a ceremony at halftime of the MIAC women's basketball game between Augsburg University and Concordia College. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Augsburg.

| Mike Augustin Award |