North Central College Names New Assistant Athletics Director

Submitted by North Central College

North Central College Director of Athletics Jim Miller '86 has announced the addition of Susan DeNigris ('02) Kane to the Cardinals' staff as the new Assistant Director of Athletics.

Kane, who currently serves as North Central's Associate Director of Admission, will remain in that position until late spring. She replaces Stevie Baker-Watson, who had been with the department since 2007 and was recently named the Director of Athletics and Recreation at DePauw University (Ind.)

"We're tremendously pleased to have Susan join us in athletics," Miller said. "She brings a true working knowledge of the recruitment and admissions process, and what it means to student-athletes. In her work as the Admissions Department's liaison to athletics, she has worked with all of our coaches, and her knowledge, coupled with a fantastic personality and positive attitude, has led all of our coaches to enjoy their experience working with her."

As an undergraduate, Kane competed for North Central's women's track & field team from 1999-2002. She was a member of North Central's NCAA Division III  national-champion 4x400-meter relay team in 1999 and went on to earn five additional All-America certificates, in addition to six Division III All-Academic accolades and two College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference Awards. In 2002, she received Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and was the state of Illinois' nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Kane was a seven-time individual champion, four-time relay champion and two-time Most Outstanding Track Athlete Award winner in CCIW Championship competition, helping the Cardinals win the 2002 CCIW team title. She was inducted into North Central's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.

"Susan was an unbeleivable student-athlete, in every sense of the term," Miller said. "Everything that you could do to define yourself positively as a student-athlete, she has done. She is a phenomenal role model for our current student-athletes to interact with and be mentored by."

Kane will assume responsibility for managing and marketing home athletics events as well as compliance and eligibility. She will also coordinate leadership programs for student-athletes, including The Huddle, Varsity Course, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Student-Athlete Mentors (SAM).

"I'm so excited to have the opportunity to impact the College in a new way," Kane said. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with our current student-athletes and have an impact on them. I think my experience in admissions and my knowledge of the recruitment process will be incredibly helpful for our coaches. I'm looking forward to working with them more regularly and helping them find the most effective ways to recruit for their programs."

Kane is married to former track & field All-American Ryan Kane '01/M '08.