NATCHITOCHES, La. – The LSU Media Relations Department captured three first place awards in media guides categories and four overall in the annual Louisiana Sports Writers Association writing contest.
The awards were announced Sunday at the annual closing brunch of the LSWA convention which was held in conjunction with Saturday’s induction ceremonies for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Kent Lowe won for his men’s basketball guide in Division I (Football, Basketball), while Matt Dunaway won in Division III (women’s basketball, softball, baseball) for his softball guide. Finally, LSU student SID Jesse Delerno won the Division V Olympic guide category for his LSU swimming and diving guide.
Lowe’s basketball guide had already been named the best men’s basketball guide in the country by the College Sports Information Directors. The LSWA judge said: “This winner gets the nod because of a mind-boggling amount of historical research for such info as LSU week-by-week in the Association Press poll since the 1950s, the year-by-year LSU team stats since 1980 and the Tigers starting lineups since 1975.”
The judge for Dunaway’s winning guide said, “Well written, well designed and a solid balance of the necessary information.” Of Delerno’s swimming guide, the judge commented, “Another outstanding and readable publication, great inside photo cover shot of Mike The Tiger and swimmers/divers, nice family photos and feature shots of coaches … very readable copy and good use of screens and borders, great LSU history.
All three guides are products of the LSU Publications Office headed by Director of Publications Jason Feirman, Graphic Designers Krystal Bennett and Courtney Wilburn and student assistants Kenli Langois and Courtney Wimmert. LSU staff photograher Steve Franz along with student photographer Chris Parent contributed the majority of images used in the media guides.
LSU’s other first came I the Fact Sheet category as Associate AD/SID Michael Bonnette won for his fact sheet for last year’s LSU-Alabama football fact sheet. The judge said, “Again, extras make this the winner, like the location of LSU coaches during a game, easy-to-find and easy to-read graphics such as the polls, a year-by-year-list of Tiger Stadium night games since 2002 and the current schedules and results of everyone on LSU’s 2009 schedule. This is stuff even the most clueless sportswriters can find and use.”
The LSU SID Office also received citations in the following places: Division I Media Guide – 2. Michael Bonnette, LSU Football Guide; Division III Media Guide – 2. Bill Martin, LSU Women’s Basketball; Division V Media Guide – 3. Matt Dunaway, LSU Volleyball; Best Fact Sheet – 3. Matt Dunaway, LSU Softball vs. Georgia; Best Release – 2. Bill Martin, LSU; 3. Michael Bonnette, LSU.