Fox Cities News

Joe Vanden Acker, the director of athletic media relations at Lawrence University, has been recognized by the Midwest Conference with the Meritorious Service Award. This award acknowledges his "significant contributions and outstanding service to the MWC and its member institutions." Heather Benning, executive director of the MWC, commended Vanden Acker for his dedication to Lawrence Athletics and his involvement in broader athletic events such as MWC tournaments and the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

Vanden Acker has been involved with Lawrence University's athletics for 25 years. He manages media coverage for 22 varsity teams, which will increase to 24 with the addition of men's and women's lacrosse in March 2025. His responsibilities include producing athletics publications, serving as head statistician for home events, maintaining the athletics section of the university's website, and distributing results to various media outlets. Additionally, he produces video webcasts for 12 teams and is known as the "Voice of the Vikings" for hockey, baseball, and softball.

Jason Imperati, director of athletics at Lawrence University, praised Vanden Acker's contributions as an "invaluable" part of Lawrence Athletics over the past quarter century. "From managing media publications and event production to his leadership in NCAA championships, JVA consistently goes above and beyond," Imperati said. "This award is a well-deserved recognition of his outstanding contributions to both our university and the broader athletic community."

Since joining Lawrence University during the early days of digital statistics and its athletics website, Vanden Acker has become an unofficial historian for university athletics.