National Wrestling Media Association announces annual journalism award winners

The National Wrestling Media Association released its annual media awards on Saturday, March 21. Here are the winners:

Broadcaster of the Year: Anthony Robles, ESPN/Pac-12 Network

Robles was a three-time All-American at Arizona State and an NCAA Division I Champion in 2011. Since, Robles has gone on the public speaking circuit and immediately joined the ESPN broadcast team for the NCAA Division I Championships. The last two years, Robles has become a fixture on the Pac-12 Network's wrestling broadcasts.

Robles is a natural on the mic and is one of the more inspirational stories in all of wrestling, winning the championship his senior year despite being born with just one leg. Robles' knowledge of wrestling, positioning and mindset as well as being in-tune with the younger viewers have made him a top voice in college wrestling broadcasts.

Journalist of the Year: Brad Wilson, Easton Express-Times

Brad Wilson has one of the toughest beats in all of wrestling -- the Lehigh Valley, which covers two of the top wrestling states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and also includes Lehigh University. Wilson started covering wrestling in 1989 and has been a beat writer for high school wrestling at three different papers, including his current run at the Express-Times that started in 2010. Wilson recently won a Keystone Award for his excellence in beat writing for high school sports. He's also the President of the Pen and Pencil Club in Philadelphia, the nation's oldest press club. Wilson is a graduate of Lake Forest College in Illinois.

 

Website of the Year: D3Wrestle.com

Andy Vogel, the head wrestling coach at Gettysburg College, founded D3wrestle.com in 2007 and its focus has solely been on the largest division of collegiate wrestling. D3wrestle.com puts out weekly rankings, preseason team bios as well as keeps up-to-date with all the Division III scores on a daily basis. Vogel, an Ohio native and an alum of Messiah College, also serves as an Assistant Athletic Director at Gettysburg.

 

Publication of the Year: Cedar Rapids Gazette

In Iowa, wrestling is a passion and the Cedar Rapids Gazette produces wrestling content across all levels of wrestling with a heavy focus on college and high school wrestling. Former sports editor Mike Chapman started the run in the 1980's and since, the paper has continued with coverage from Brian Chapman, J.R. Ogden, Jeff Johnson and K.J. Pilcher. The paper covers numerous high school tournaments per week and also focuses on the state's Division I, II and III wrestling programs. Locally owned and operated, the Gazette's circulation is over 65,000 and has been in existence since 1883. It's also one of the handful of papers nationwide that routinely covers the freestyle and Greco-Roman senior level.

Photographer of the Year: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com

Sachs, a New Jersey native and California resident, is the NWMA Photographer of the Year for the second time. It's the third time Sachs has been honored by the NWMA -- twice as a photographer and once previously for the association's Website of the Year. Sachs founded Tech-Fall.com in 2002 and has covered hundreds of wrestling tournaments ranging from youth wrestling events, to state championships and World and Olympic championships. He's been working with Lifetouch Studios as a photographer since 2007 and in 2014, was W.I.N. Magazine's Journalist of the Year.

New Media Specialist: Jason Bryant, Mat Talk Online

Bryant, a longtime writer and broadcaster, re-launched Mat Talk Online in August of 2014 and has kickstarted wrestling's place in podcasting. A Virginia native and Old Dominion graduate, Bryant's Mat Talk Podcast Network hosts a variety of podcasts, including the Short Time Wrestling Podcast and team shows for Old Dominion, Virginia Tech and Maryland at the Division I level. Over half of the college wrestling podcasts are produced and distributed by Bryant.

 

 

Division I SID of the Year: Taylor Miller, Oklahoma State

Starting out as a student assistant within Oklahoma State's Sports Information office, Miller, an Oklahoma City native, has rapidly improved in her last four years to become one of the top media relations professionals in wrestling. Miller is in her first year as a graduate assistant in the office and is quick to coordinate interviews, media requests and a number of requests around one of the nation's premier programs. Miller's learning curve has been tremendous and she's emerged as one of the top

 

Small College SID of the Year: Jackie Paquette, Indianapolis

Paquette has worked at the University of Indianapolis for the last eight seasons as the school's Sports Information Director. Three years ago, Paquette assumed the role of Senior Woman Administrator at the Division II school and has had oversight of the wrestling program for the last two seasons. Paquette is one of the few media relations professionals in Division II who travels with the team and handles a number of roles within the department. A graduate of Butler University, Paquette has moved up from intern to administrator and has maintained strong promotion of UIndy wrestling during her time at the school.

Jay Hammond Memorial Service Award

Mike Finn, W.I.N. Magazine

Waterloo, Iowa native Mike Finn has spent his entire professional career as a journalist and media relations professional. Finn has served as the editor at Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine (W.I.N.) since 2003 and prior was the editor of Voice oft he Hawkeyes Magazine from 1988-2003. He's covered every NCAA Division I championship since 1990. Prior to his foray into magazine writing and editing, he worked as a Sports Information Director at Memphis State University in Tennessee for 10 years. Finn is a graduate of the University of Iowa where he earned a degree in journalism in 1978. Finn is hard-working, well-respected and a consumate professional. He's served as part of the NBC's Olympic coverage for the past two games, serving as a researcher for statistics and notes for the broadcast team. One of Finn's personal highlights is being able to produce a monthly Q&A with Dan Gable. He credits wrestling for giving him the fight to become a journalist, ask the tough questions and deal with coaches and athletes who aren't always media friendly.

Pat Tocci, National Wrestling Coaches Association

While he's never sought recognition, Tocci, the Senior Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, has been a vital cog in assisting the media cover the sport of wrestling as well as a liaison between the media and the NWCA. A native of Bethlehem, Pa., Tocci wrestled at Brown and has served as a coach at the youth, high school, Division I and Division II levels. His role at the NWCA encompasses handling of individual state federations, weight management, awards coordination, NCAA events as well as he works with the NCAA and member institutions with the weight management program. He's assisted the NCAA with the new qualifier procedures, automated seeding at the state levels, the NCAA statistical leader reports and fosters a relationship with media relations professionals and sports information directors almost on a daily basis. Tocci has been a tireless worker behind the scenes. He's been employed at the NWCA since 2001.

About the NWMA
The National Wrestling Media Association (NWMA) is the national professional organizations for journalists who cover the sport of amateur wrestling. This includes reporters, editors, publishers, webmasters, photographers, broadcasters, sports information directors and other media professionals who share an interest and involvement in the sport. Dues are $25 annually, which can be sent to the National Wrestling Media Association, P.O. Box 120889, New Brighton, MN 55112. Potential members can also join by clicking here.