FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is proud to announce Albion College's Noah Tylutki and Ian Balint as the recipients of the 2026 Robin Hartman Writing Award and the Tom Renner Associate SID Award, respectively.
The accolades honor two long-time public and media relations directors and their service to the MIAA: the late Robin Hartman of Albion College and Tom Renner of Hope College.
2025-26 Robin Hartman Writing Award
Noah Tylutki, Interim Sports Information Director at Albion College, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025-26 Robin Hartman Writing Award for his feature titled "Twenty-Five Years After His Death, Pete Schmidt’s Multifaceted Legacy Remains." The story examines the enduring influence of legendary Albion football coach Pete Schmidt a quarter century after his passing. While Schmidt's championship-winning record remains a significant part of his legacy, Tylutki's feature focuses on the lasting impact Schmidt had as a mentor, teacher and father figure to generations of student-athletes.
Through interviews and reflections from former players, the story highlights Schmidt's emphasis on character, leadership, academic success and service to others. Many of those he coached credit Schmidt with shaping the values and life lessons that continue to guide them in their personal and professional lives. Tylutki's feature captures the profound and lasting influence of a coach whose legacy extends far beyond wins and losses.
This marks the seventh time in the history of the award that an Albion College sports information professional has earned the Robin Hartman Writing Award. Tylutki joined Albion's athletics department as assistant sports information director in July 2025 and was promoted to interim sports information director in January 2026. He came to Albion from Bowling Green State University, where he served as a strategic communications coordinator during the 2024-25 academic year. Tylutki was also recently recognized as the District 4 College Division winner in the historical feature category of the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest for the same story.
2025-26 Tom Renner Associate SID Award
Albion College senior Ian Balint has been selected as the 2025-26 recipient of the Tom Renner Associate SID Award. A four-year member of the Britons baseball program, Balint has spent the past two years working in Albion's sports information office while pursuing a degree in Marketing Management and Sports Communications.
Balint has played an integral role in supporting Albion Athletics through a wide variety of gameday and office responsibilities. During athletic contests, he has contributed by inputting live statistics, serving as a public address announcer, producing livestream broadcasts, operating streaming cameras and writing postgame recaps. His versatility, reliability and professionalism have made him a valuable presence at events across multiple sports.
Beyond gameday operations, Balint has made significant contributions behind the scenes. His work has included developing football and baseball record book databases, maintaining Albion Athletics Hall of Fame photos and biographies, writing student-athlete biographies and game notes for the department website, compiling tennis statistics and ensuring livestream links are properly connected to athletic schedules. His attention to detail and commitment to excellence helped strengthen the department's operations and public-facing communications, particularly during periods of leadership transition.
Balint's impact extends beyond athletics communications. He served as president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as an executive board member of Albion's Investment Club. In addition, he has worked in games management and athletics laundry operations, served as a public speaking coach and supervised intramural leagues. His ability to balance multiple leadership roles while maintaining a commitment to service has distinguished him throughout his time at Albion.
"Ian has demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to the Albion sports information department through his outstanding service, leadership and professionalism," Tylutki said. "His contributions have consistently exceeded expectations and made a meaningful impact on the success of the department. Ian is always willing to serve wherever needed, approaching each responsibility with enthusiasm, integrity and excellence. He truly embodies the values this award represents and is highly deserving of this honor."
The MIAA congratulates both Tylutki and Balint for their outstanding contributions to storytelling, athletic communications and sports information within the conference.