PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Lauren Sisler continues to rise in the media industry as the Rutgers gymnastics product was recently named the new reporter for SEC Network's traveling pregame show, SEC Nation presented by AT&T. The show, backed by ESPN, will include live reports, analysis and features surrounding SEC football. Known for her passion for sports, Sisler will continue to tell the stories of the coaches, athletes and fans who make it more than a game.
Sisler, who was named Alabama Sportscaster of the Year in 2016, is based in Birmingham and will continue to serve as a sports reporter and host at AL.com where she covers a multitude of teams and sports in the state. The versatile reporter picked up a regional Emmy this past June after producing an interview between Charles Barkley and Nick Saban that garnered more than 11 million views across various social media and digital platforms. Sisler can also be seen on SEC Network's gymnastics coverage and covering the sidelines for football games on ESPN.
Prior to joining ESPN, Sisler worked at WIAT-TV in Birmingham as a sports anchor and reporter. She earned three prestigious awards including an ABBY in 2013 for Sports Anchor of the Year and in consecutive years, 2014 and 2015, was named Best Sports Anchor by the Alabama Associated Press.
Sisler earned her Rutgers B.A. in communication and graduated with honors from the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies (SCILS) in 2006 and got her start as a freelancer at CNBC. She also worked at WDBJ7 in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia, and as a sports anchor at WTAP in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
While at Rutgers, Sisler was recognized by the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) with the 2006 Wilma Rudolph Student Athlete Achievement Award. The N4A Wilma Rudolph Student Athlete Achievement Award is intended to honor student athletes who have overcome great personal, and/or emotional odds, to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Sisler suffered the unfortunate tragedy of losing both her parents within hours of each other in her freshman year. She persevered through such trying times to excel both academically and athletically at Rutgers, raising her grade point average more than a point and a half, and emerging as one of the gymnastics team's top performers.
Other accolades Sisler earned at RU included the President's Award in 2005-06 for carrying a 4.0 GPA and the distinction of being named All-EAGL Academic status twice. She also collected the Noble Award in 2006, an honor to the gymnast who displayed outstanding athletic ability, consistency, sportsmanship and dedication. In addition, Sisler picked up the Most Improved Gymnast Award in 2005.
Sisler was a four-time letterwinner for the Scarlet Knights from 2003-06 competing on uneven bars and floor exercise.
