NEWS

Members of the Louisiana Tech Athletic Communications Department took home seven awards during the 2019 Louisiana Sports Writers Association State SID contest announced Sunday during the final day of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Weekend in Natchitoches.

For the sixth straight year, Louisiana Tech garnered the most awards in the state as the department picked up one first, three seconds and three thirds out of the six award categories.

The Louisiana Tech Athletics Communications Department has now won 91 awards in the state contest over the past 19 years, the second most of any program (LSU, 121) in the state. Associate Athletic Director Malcolm Butler’s total of 41 awards is the most during that time by any state SID while Kane McGuire (12) and Anna Claire Thomas (10) both rank in the Top 10 for most awards during that time (both are completing only their seventh year in the department).

Butler won first place in the Division III Media Guide category with the Lady Techster Softball Media Guide. The judges’ comments included, “There were so many things to like about the winning guide, but the idea to put the team picture on the back cover and corresponding pictures on the inside back cover of the players when they were children was brilliant. Enormous cute factor.”

Tech swept the category as Thomas’ track and field media guide and McGuire’s soccer media guide finished second and third.

Thomas’ Bulldog football media guide took home second place in the Division I/II Media Guide category while her Bulldog football game notes vs. LSU won third place in the Division VI Game Notes category.

Butler picked up a second place award in the Division V Features on his story about the emotions following a Saturday sweep of league leader WKU by the Lady Techster softball team just two days after an EF3 tornado destroyed their field.

Butler also picked up third place in the College Radio Play by Play contest, marking the fifth time in seven years he has placed in the category.

Courtney Pugh at Donnie Bell Design handles the layout and creative for all of Louisiana Tech’s media guides while Donny Crowe, Tom Morris and Darrell James provide the outstanding photography for the Tech Athletics Communications.

 University Communications Senior Writer Teddy Allen took home the Sportswriter of the Year Awards for the LSWA as he and Rod Walker (Baton Rouge Advocate) tied for the award. Allen picked up a pair of first place awards in the Pro Event Open Class category for his story on Patrick Reed winning the 2018 Masters and in the College Column Open Class category for his story on Louisiana Sports and College Football Hall of Famer Billy Cannon, who passed away in May 2018.