Mike Mahon has an extensive background in track and field on all levels.
It is not only for his national and worldwide accomplishments that we honor him today, but also for the love and compassion he has for our great sports of track and cross country and the Iowans who compete in them.
He is regarded as one of the foremost track and field media relations people anywhere working at NCAA Championships, USA and World Championships as well as the Olympics. Upon graduating from Dowling Catholic in 1972 Mike headed to the University of South Dakota. At his alma mater is where it all started. He was sports information director from 1977-88 and served as media coordinator for the 1988 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the DakotaDome. He spent 22 years as the sports information director at Drake University before retiring in December of 2010. Mahon had extensive involvement in the Drake Relays, serving as media coordinator and was chairman of the 1996 Drake Relays executive committee. In 2011 Mahon was inducted into the Drake Relays Wall of Honor. He was local media coordinator for the 2010 and 2012 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as well as the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held in Des Moines.
Mike Mahon has been involved in numerous amateur, international and Olympic events. He served as the United States Olympic Committee press officer for track and field for Team USA at the 1992, 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics and was assistant venue press chief for team handball at Los Angeles in 1984. He also was a press officer for Team USA at the 2011 World Outdoor Track Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
He served as USOC press officer for the 1991, 1999, 2003, and 2011 Pan American Games as well as USOC press officer at four U.S. Olympic Festivals in track and field.
In 2006 Mike Mahon became the first sports information director ever to receive the Sam Skinner Award from the Track & Field Writers of America; given to anyone (coach, meet promoter in track and field) who has shown exemplary cooperation with the media. He has served as statistics producer for ESPN’s coverage of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships as well as the SEC Indoor Championships. He also has served as press box coordinator for the Iowa Boys and Girls State High School Track & Field Championships since 1989.
“Mike Mahon is one of those SID’s who have helped define the excellence of this profession. His contribution to collegiate athletics and to the Olympics set a standard that all of us try to measure up to,” stated former United States Olympic Committee Media Services director Bob Condron.
Mahon worked at a myriad of NCAA Championships having served at 27 NCAA Basketball Tournaments, including three NCAA Final Fours; as well as numerous NCAA Track and Field and Cross Country Championships.
He was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame in 1995, and in 2003 received the 25-year CoSIDA Distinguished Service Award. Mahon received the Lifetime Achievement Award by CoSIDA in 2012. He was inducted into the University of South Dakota Coyote Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.