To: OPSWA Members
From: Tim Stried
Re: Contest Entry Deadline, Judges, Statewide Meeting Date, Hall of Fame
February 14, 2018
Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Memo
Hello OPSWA members. A reminder that the postmark deadline for the annual contest is Thursday, Feb. 15. Additional judges are also needed, so please confirm if you are willing to serve as a judge. Also, the statewide meeting date has been changed to Tuesday, April 17 (see details below).
Annual Writing and Photography Contest
The postmark deadline is Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, to submit entries in the annual OPSWA writing and photography contest. The contest includes articles and photos about Ohio high school sports published between Jan. 1, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2017.
The OHSAA Communications Office coordinates the contest (copies, mailing, tabulating results) and OPSWA members serve as judges. The contest is judged by your peers – and we need a lot of judges! Any OPSWA member interested in being a judge should notify Tim Stried. Every category will have at least two judges, with the final results being the average scores of the two judges.
Statewide Meeting is Tuesday, April 17
The 2018 OPSWA statewide meeting is Tuesday, April 17, beginning at 10:30 AM at the OHSAA office (4080 Roselea Place, Columbus, OH 43214). Please RSVP to Tim Stried. The meeting is free to attend and lunch is provided. The tentative agenda is as follows:
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10:30 to 10:45 – Introductions and welcome remarks from OHSAA
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10:45 to 11:15 – Comments from OPSWA officers
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11:15 to 11:45 – Writing contest results and writers of the year announced
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11:45 to 12:30 – Lunch (complimentary)
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12:30 to 2:00 – Discussion Topics (All-Ohio Teams, polls, etc.) and Workshop Session (TBD)
OPSWA Takes Control of All-Ohio Football and Basketball Teams
In October 2017, the Associated Press announced that it would no longer coordinate All-Ohio teams in football and basketball, nor the Mr. Football, Mr. Basketball and Ms. Basketball Awards. However, in November, the AP district chairs vowed to continue to do their work to select all-district teams, which were used to compile the All-Ohio teams. That process will continue in February and March for postseason basketball honors. The All-Ohio teams process will be discussed at the next OPSWA statewide meeting April 18 (see below).
New ID Badges Available
The OHSAA produces ID badges for OPSWA members that include the member’s photo and the media outlet logo. Any OPSWA member that wants a new ID badge should email their headshot (and media outlet logo, if desired) to Tim Stried. There is no cost for the ID badge.
Hall of Fame
In January, the officers of the OPSWA announced the 2018 OPSWA Hall of Fame induction class, which includes former Alliance Review sports editor Mike Brown, Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian sports editor Jeff Harrison and Dayton Daily News sportswriter Debbie Juniewicz. They will join 62 sports writing greats previously enshrined in the OPSWA Hall of Fame during ceremonies on Saturday, March 24 at the OHSAA boys basketball state tournament at the Schottenstein Center. The release is posted at:
http://bit.ly/2ClAPis
Membership Surpasses 150
As of January 2018, there are 152 registered OPSWA members, which marks the most in the history of the OPSWA. Membership in the OPSWA is free. Current members do not need to resubmit a registration form every year. New members shall submit a membership registration form, which is posted at:
http://www.ohsaa.org/Portals/0/News/OPSWA/OPSWAMemberRegistration.pdf
OPSWA Website and Officers
The following OPSWA officers were elected at the statewide meeting in April 2017. Their terms expire in April 2019:
President: Jamie Baker, Findlay
First Vice President: Eric Frantz, Dayton
Second Vice President: Todd Stumpf, Medina
Secretary: John Cummings, Dayton Daily News
Treasurer: Scott Halasz, Xenia Daily Gazette
Tim Stried
Director of Communications
Ohio High School Athletic Association
614-267-2502, ext. 124 office
614-267-1677 fax
4080 Roselea Place
Columbus, OH 43214