MEDIA
INFORMATION
January 8, 2008
Contact: Jason Wille, Sports Information Director
E–Mail: jwille@ihsaa.org
PAUL
SIEGFRIED NAMED DISTRICT I MEDIA SERVICE AWARD WINNER
An
award-winning writer, photographer and editor, Paul Siegfried of the Huntington Herald-Press, has been
selected as this year’s recipient of the IHSAA Distinguished Media
Service Award for District I.
Siegfried will be honored in
a special ceremony on Friday evening at halftime of the Anderson-Huntington
North boys basketball game in Huntington. IHSAA Commissioner Blake Ress and
Sports Information Director Jason Wille will be on hand to make the
presentation.
Siegfried has spent his
entire 20-year career with the Huntington newspaper and currently serves as its
Sports Editor, a position he has maintained since September 1990. Prior to
that, he began with the newspaper as its Chief Photographer in April 1987.
Over the years, he has won 18
first place awards from the Hoosier State Press Association and 14 from the
Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors in the areas of writing, photography,
graphic design and best sports section.
"I've been to just about every big-time high
school event there is, but I still get the most excitement from the daily
challenge,” Siegfried said. “It may sound like a cliche, but each
new season brings new teams and new athletes, and with them more new stories to
tell. That continues to be a source of inspiration and enjoyment in this
job."
In 1989, he was selected by
portfolio for the Sports Illustrated Photography Workshop and he is a 2000
graduate of the Huntington County Leadership Academy. He holds memberships with
the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Indiana Sportswriters and
Sportscasters Association and is on the Board of Directors of Huntington County
Baseball, Inc.
Siegfried considers Bob
Hammel, the legendary journalist and former Herald-Press
Sports Editor, as his biggest influence.
“Bob is a good friend from
whom I've learned how to tell a great story that not only informs, but also
captures the emotion of the event or subject.”
Siegfried is a 1986 graduate
of Purdue University where he earned a bachelors degree in Communication. While
on campus, he worked for the school’s newspaper, The Purdue Exponent, and its yearbook, The Purdue Debris. He also is a 1982 graduate of Wawasee High
School.
Paul's wife, Ann, is a
retired Huntington North English teacher, who now is an education specialist
for SCAN, Inc. They both like to spend time traveling, and Paul enjoys playing
golf and fishing.
This is the 24th year the IHSAA has recognized outstanding members of
the Indiana news media from each of the three IHSAA legislative districts for
excellence in the coverage of high school sports. District I covers 22 counties
across northern Indiana. Siegfried is the final honoree this school year
following Mike Hole and the late Chuck Akers of WFLQ Radio in French Lick and
Bob Adams of the Berne Tri-Weekly News and WZBD Radio who were also honored in
recent weeks.
On behalf of its 407 member schools, the Indiana High School Athletic
Association proudly salutes Paul Siegfried for his dedicated service to high
school athletics in the state of Indiana.
Previous award winners from
northeastern
Hilliard Gates, WKJG-TV,
Fort Wayne, 1984-85
Jim Costin, Fort Wayne
News-Sentinel, 1987-88
Ken Hill, Sports Hotline,
Dick DeFay, WKJG-TV, Fort
Wayne, 1990-91
George Frye,
Len Davis, WGL Radio, Fort
Wayne, 1994-95
Jim Brunner, WBAT, Marion,
1998-99
Dean Pantazi, WPTA-TV, Fort
Wayne, 1999-00
Rob Weaver, WPGW AM FM,
Dick Stimpson, WNUY AM &
FM, Bluffton, 2006-07
Bob Adams, Berne Tri-Weekly
News, WZBD, 2007-08
IHSAA
07-08/20