University of Lynchburg employees Caroline Gerke ’22, ’24 MBA and Joe Brennan ’27 MBA earned national recognition from College Sports Communicators for their work during the 2025-26 academic year.
Gerke, the University’s head of photography, placed fifth in the College Division’s Photographer of the Year Portfolio category. She finished second among Division III finalists, earned a spot inside the top five in the College Division for the third consecutive year, and established herself as one of the top Division III athletic photographers in the country.
Gerke’s portfolio was selected from a field of 67 entries. She was one of 13 repeat finalists in the third year of the CSC Portfolio Contests.
Brennan, Lynchburg’s athletic communications assistant, was named a College Division national winner in the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. His winning submission was a feature story about Kevin Cardoza, director of women’s volleyball at Lynchburg.
The story highlights Cardoza’s impact on Lynchburg’s volleyball program and the continued growth of the Hornets under his leadership.
Brennan was one of seven individual category winners in the College Division, making him a finalist for Story of the Year. Nearly 500 entries were submitted across seven categories in the 2025-26 contest.
The honors mark the third consecutive year that at least two members of Lynchburg’s athletic communications staff have received a national award through CSC.
