'Very special and appreciated': Three local athletic directors earn prestigious honor
Three area high school administrators were recently named Athletic Director of the Year for their districts by the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association.
Karrah Ellis of Franklin High was honored in District 7; Jeff Rudzinsky of Marlborough in District 3; and Nipmuc’s Chris Schmidt in District 2.
Ellis is in her second year as Franklin’s AD, but has served in that role at Tantasqua, Algonquin and Grafton. During that time, she says she has worked with Rudzinsky and Schmidt on many initiatives, projects and tournaments.
“They are both excellent athletic directors, and both so deserving of this award,“ Ellis said in an email to the Daily News. “They continue to do great things for their respective schools, leagues, and districts. I cannot think of two more deserving individuals.”
Ellis, a former three-sport athlete at Wachusett Regional, was named AD of the Year at Grafton 10 years ago. She said she is “humbled" to receive her current accolade. "As an athletic director, I cannot think of a greater honor than being recognized by your peers for the work you do on behalf of your students, school, league, district, and state.”
Rudzinsky, Marlborough’s AD since 2010, earned his first AD of the Year award.
“Being an Athletic Director has been a very challenging and rewarding position,” he said in an email. “Knowing those that do what I do see the hard work and long hours that we do each day and to select me for this award is very special and appreciated.”
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Rudzinsky says he enjoys helping his current students as much as the ones who have already passed through Marlborough High’s halls.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to help student-athletes on a daily basis and nothing is more rewarding than to see where some of our former student-athletes who have graduated are now and to hear how some of the ‘life lessons’ and things we preached to them made a difference,” he said. “Nothing prepares you better for ‘the real world’ than athletics.”
Schmidt has been Nimpuc’s AD since 2015 and was named to the MSSADA’s Theodore “Ted” Damko Award in 2018.
“The best part of my job is working with the coaches and the kids on a daily basis,” he said. “To be able to work with people who do something because they love it is incredibly rewarding.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached attdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ellis, Rudzinsky, Schmidt named to Athletic Director of Year awards
