John Dudley (center) is presented with the PSAC Heaslip Media Award by PSAC Associate Commissioner Will Adair (right) and Edinboro SID Bob Shreve (left).
Dudley Honored with PSAC Heaslip Media Award
John Dudley of the Erie Times-News has been chosen as the winner of the 2012 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference George Heaslip Media Award. Dudley received his award Monday among peers and colleagues at the PSAC Football Media Luncheon hosted by Slippery Rock University.
Dudley has served as a sportswriter at the Erie Times-News since 1999, but worked with Brown-Thompson Newspapers, a contributor to the Erie Times-News for years prior to that. He has covered Edinboro athletics extensively since that time, including serving as the beat writer for wrestling and for a time in football. He continues to cover football, and has been used for NFL coverage recently as well. He has also covered Gannon and Mercyhurst athletics for several years, dating back to the Lakers' and Golden Knight's pre-PSAC days.
In recent years, Dudley has been elevated to a columnist, and in this role he has written many stories on local college athletes, along with continuing to cover events. He has made numerous trips to cover Edinboro wrestling at the NCAA championships, and has also covered Edinboro’s and Mercyhurst’s runs in the football playoffs, along with playoff runs by Edinboro women’s basketball and Gannon men’s and women’s basketball in recent years. Dudley is an Edinboro graduate and has always had a deep respect for the PSAC.
Dudley becomes the 24th winner of the Heaslip Award which is chosen annually by the league's sports information directors. Named in honor of the late Cheyney University Sports Information Director George Heaslip, the award recognizes a media professional for his or her meritorious service while covering the conference's student-athletes, coaches and teams.
The list of the previous Heaslip Award winners:
2011 - Matt Burglund, Indiana Gazette
2010 - Kevin Freeman, Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal
2009 - Chuck Seese, WVPO/WSBG Radio/Stroudsburg
2008 - Tony Coccagna, Indiana Gazette
2007 - Phil Axelrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
2006 - Bob Black, Harrisburg Patriot News
2005 - Ron Bracken, Centre Daily Times
2004 - Liz Sullivan, West Chester Daily Local News
2003 - Dave Mackall, Pittsburgh Tribune Review
2002 - Goose Goslin, KDKA Radio
2001 - By Kintzer, WGAL/WLPA Radio
2000 - Jeff Schuler, (Allentown) Morning Call
1999 - Bob Hafer, Harrisburg Patriot-News
1998 - Tom Coccagna, Chambersburg Public Opinion
1997 - Bill Albright, Williamsport Sun Gazette
1996 - Jim Camp, Erie Morning News
1995 - Jack Benedict, WCCS/Radio Homer City
1994 - Tom Rose, Washington Observer-Reporter
1993 - Jim Doyle, WJMW Radio, Bloomsburg
1992 - Pete Zapadka, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
1991 - Ray “Skip” Hutter, Harrisburg Patriot-News
1990 - Ross Nevel, The Lock Haven Express
1989 - Ray Kienzl, The Pittsburgh Press