DANBURY, Conn. - Western Connecticut State University hired Shaina Blakesley as the assistant sports communications director in July of 2025 and she will assist in overseeing the University's 22 varsity sports.

Prior to joining the Wolves, Blakesley served as assistant sports Information director/senior woman administrator at Albertus Magnus College since 2024. She helped elevate the College's social media presence via graphics, photography, videography and marketing materials, while also working closely with the marketing and communications office. She was the primary contact for women's soccer, field hockey, men's and women's tennis, men's basketball, women's ice hockey, men's and women's swimming, men's lacrosse and women's lacrosse. While at Albertus, Blakesley won a College Sports Communications graphic design award and traveled to the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind. for training as a member of the Division III LGBTQ OneTeam Program.

Blakesley worked as the assistant director of athletic communication at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut from 2022 to 2024. At Trinity, she aided the College's 30 varsity sports, including all the media relations and marketing for the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Semifinals Tournament in 2023. As a Bantam, Blakesley handled all social media branding, graphics, videos and marketing materials for the athletic communications department, while also handling in-game stats, writing features and game recaps, website updates and gameday operations.

Blakesley graduated with her master's degree in athletic communication and promotion from Sacred Heart University in August 2022 after serving two years as the graduate assistant for the athletic communication and marketing department. At SHU, Blakesley was the primary contact for men and women's cross country/track & field, men's and women's fencing, field hockey, women's ice hockey and baseball, along with handling the team's individual social media accounts.

Blakesley transferred into Central Connecticut State University in 2017 from Palomar Community College in San Marcos, Calif after earning three associate's degrees including one in journalism. As an undergraduate at CCSU, Blakesley was an integral part in the marketing, communications and public relations clubs, along with the programming board Central Activities Network and worked her way through the ranks of the newspaper, The Recorder, to become the managing editor. After graduating from Central in 2019 with her bachelor's degree in communications with an emphasis in sports public relations and media studies minor, she worked for the student activities/leadership development department at her alma mater as the university assistant for the Media Board, advising the newspaper, radio station and literary magazine.