The University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Athletic Department is saying goodbye to their Sports Information Director of two and a half years, Justin Bohn.
Bohn graduated from UW-Platteville on Dec. 10 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in History.
Bohn left the Athletic Department on Saturday Feb. 7 for a full-time position at Drake University in Iowa.
As the SID for UW-Platteville, Bohn handled the Pioneer athletics webpage, maintained and uploaded statistics, ran the athletics social media outlets, and distributed and received information from all athletic departments within the UW-System.
Bohn also handled  media requests, which included scheduling interviews with athletes and managing photos.
Per state regulations, UW-Platteville will conduct a search for the new position and will not cut the current SID position.
Bohn’s decision to leave was not due to recent state budget cuts, but rather pursuit of his own professional goals.
“A new opportunity came my way and it’s a new challenge for me.  Looking at my profession, personally it’s a good decision to move on.” Bohn said.
Athletic Director Mark Molesworth said, “He wants to go to Division I, which is a great opportunity for him at Drake.”
Since Bohn’s position has yet to be filled, Bohn’s work duties will be fulfilled by the Athletic Department’s student workers until the full-time position is taken over.
“When losing someone in the middle of the year, it is difficult,” Molesworth said.
The members of the athletic department are saddened to see Bohn leave and offered kind words on his departure.
Molesworth, who has known Bohn for 19 years, as a student and colleague, had only humbling words to say about the former SID.
“Whenever you have a staff member who has goals and aspirations and gets an opportunity to move up to a higher level, you feel good for them,” Molesworth said. “You’re happy when people have goals and aspirations, and achieving them is great. If we contributed in any way, that is a good thing.”
Head football coach and recent recipient of the Assistant Athletic Director position, Mike Emendorfer has spent the last two years working with Bohn on and off.
“I think anytime a colleague leaves, we are saddened to see them leave, but we’re happy for him personally. Great opportunity for him at Drake and we wish him luck.  People come and go and he did a great job for two years,” Emendorfer said. “We wish him the best of luck on his new adventures at Drake.”
Emendorfer also shared a memory about Bohn that he recalled.
“Working with him two years ago, when we went to the playoffs for the first time in school history for the football team, as he handled the media after our first playoff victory, those were great memories,” Emendorfer said.
Molesworth added how big of an impact Bohn made during his short time here working with the university’s athletic department.
He added that Bohn influenced many through his work, mainly through his contributions to the sports page.
The feeling of gratitude was mutual as Bohn spoke about the department.
Bohn also admitted that the thing he will miss about his position most at UW-Platteville is the people.
“I would like to thank Mark Molesworth for the great opportunity he has given me and Paul Erikson (Public Information Officer), who had a huge part in me being here as well as coming back here. I used to work for him when he was Sports Information Director,” Bohn said. “And I would like to thank all the coaches for their time and being so great to work with.”