August 2, 2007

Contact: Greg Murphy

CLEVELAND, OH - Four recent college graduates have been named as interns in the Cleveland State athletic department for the 2007-08 school year. Joining the department are Rachel Gecik, Joseph Jasin, Elaina Matsko and Katie Schneider. CSU Director of Athletics Lee Reed made the announcement on Thursday.

"This is an outstanding group of individuals that we have brought in this year," Reed said. "These four will play a vital role as our department continues to grow each year.

"This internship program is important because it gives these individuals a hands-on, real world experience in their chosen field," Reed continued. "During the four years we have offered this program, our interns have been extremely successful at landing full-time jobs throughout the country at the conclusion of their internship."

Gecik, who will work in the Viking external affairs office, is a 2007 graduate of Duquesne. She completed an internship in the Duquesne athletic department where she worked with ticket and corporate sponsorships, as well as game day operations. Gecik was a member of the Duquesne soccer team from 2003-05.

Jasin, a 2007 graduate of Mount Union with a bachelor's degree in sports marketing, will serve as a ticket and merchandise intern in the CSU ticket office. For the last two years, he has worked with the Cleveland Browns Ticket Office. He worked the past year in group sales with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Matsko joins the sports information office after earning a bachelor's degree in communications and journalism from New Mexico in 2007. She served as an undergraduate assistant in the Lobo media relations office for two years and was the primary contact for women's tennis. In addition, she was the secondary contact for the 2007 spring football season. Matsko was a production assistant for the Mountain West Sports Network for the last two years.

Schneider, who will join Gecik in the external affairs office, is a 2007 graduate of Ohio State with a bachelor's degree in marketing. She served as an athletics marketing intern in 2006-07, coordinating all marketing efforts and in-game promotions for field hockey and women's lacrosse. Schneider, a native of Solon, was a member of the Athletics Marketing Student Association for three years at and served as the head student volunteer and promotional manager for OSU Women's Basketball in 2006-07.

This is the fifth year of the intern program in the CSU athletic department.