Joe Mitch

Time to consider nominees for USBWA's Triple Crown

By JOE MITCH / Executive Director
mitch@mvc.org

With the start of another season, USBWA members are reminded to give thought to nominating candidates for the numerous awards presented annually by the USBWA.

Here's a list of those awards:

HALL OF FAME: Established in 1988, the USBWA Hall of Fame honors past and present members who are recognized for their contributions to the organization and achievements in sports journalism.

To be eligible for consideration, an individual must have 20 years of service in the profession.

The current number of inductees in the Hall of Fame is 48. Marvin West of the Knoxville News-Sentinel and Scripps Howard News-Service, was inducted last year.

MOST COURAGEOUS: Since 1978, the USBWA has annually honored individuals who wage courageous battles in life in face of adversity and personal hardships.

Last year's recipient was Tennessee Tech coach Mike Sutton for his battle with the paralyzing effects of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, in which the immune system attacks nerves and weakens the legs and arms.

Other past award winners include Grant Dykstra, who overcame a farming accident that left one of his arms mangled as a child to become a standout basketball player at Western Washington University; Trey Schwab, a Marquette assistant coach who had a double-lung transplant; the Oklahoma State basketball program following the plane crash that killed 10 members of the team; and former Tulsa and Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson for dealing with racial prejudice in life and the death of his daughter from leukemia.

KATHA QUINN AWARD: This award is presented in memory of Katha Quinn, the late sports information director at St. John's University who died of cancer in 1990.

The award honors individuals for their service and contributions to the USBWA, especially those who have excelled at servicing the media and, like Katha, are an inspiration to those in sports journalism.

Last year's winner was ex-Big Eight and Big Ten commissioner Wayne Duke, who was instrumental in the formation of the USBWA in 1956 and wrote the organization's original constitution. Previous recipients include SIDs Tim Tolokan of Connecticut and Steve Kirschner and Rick Brewer of North Carolina; former NCAA media coordinators Bill Hancock and Jim Marchiony; Craig Miller of USA Basketball; and the Washington Post's Mark Asher.

All three awards are presented at the USBWA's awards breakfast held annually at the Final Four site. Send nominations to mitch@mvc.org.

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LODGE NOTES: The USBWA mourns the passing this past July of long-time member Bob Pille at his home in Tucson, Ariz., after a year-long battle to regain his health following an automobile accident. Pille, a Bradley graduate, worked for the Peoria Journal-Star, the Times Herald in Washington, D.C., the Cincinnati Post and the Detroit Free Press and in 1966 returned to his Illinois roots as a Big Ten sports writer for the Chicago Sun-Times. He retired in 1988 but continued to do freelance work in retirement.

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The USBWA put out a call for those who have been members the longest. To date, those who have responded are: Wayne Duke and Don Bryant of Nebraska, both members since the USBWA's inception 50 years ago in 1956; and Larry Kimball, 44 years, since 1962 when he was at Delaware and later Syracuse.