SANDY GHOLSTON NAMED 2003 GLIAC MEDIA SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

GLIAC Honors Big Rapids Pioneer Sports Reporter

*2003 GLIAC Media Service Award Release* PDF

Sandy Gholston of The Pioneer received the 2003 GLIAC Media Service Award for his outstanding work in promoting the GLIAC and Ferris State Athletics.

Sandy Gholston, a sports reporter and assistant sports editor for The Pioneer newspaper in Big Rapids, Mich., was honored as the 2003 recipient of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Media Service Award during the annual GLIAC Football Media Day Tuesday (Aug. 6) at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

The Media Service Award was established in 2002 by the sports information directors of the GLIAC-member institutions to recognize the distinguished work and commitment by the members of the press who cover GLIAC athletics.

A native of Detroit, Mich., Gholston has covered Ferris State athletics for over seven years. He started covering Bulldog athletic events as an undergraduate student at FSU in 1996, working as a sports reporter for the campus' student newspaper, The Torch.

Gholston began his career in May 1997 with The Pioneer. Since that time, he has won several awards for his coverage of FSU Athletics. This past March, Gholston was honored with a first-place Associated Press Award for "Sustained Coverage of a Single Sports Event" in his reporting on the tragic death of a Ferris State Football student-athlete last fall. Gholston was also presented the 2002 United States Tennis Association's Fred Burns Journalism Award for his outstanding coverage of both the Bulldog men's and women's tennis teams.

Gholston is also active in his community, serving as co-head coach of the Reed City (Mich.) eighth grade boys' basketball team along with officiating at Ferris State summer basketball camps.

"We are fortunate to have someone the caliber of Sandy covering our athletic programs at Ferris State," said FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic. "It's great to see the rest of the GLIAC recognize him for his professionalism and talents. Sandy is an unique sports reporter who values the efforts of all student-athletes and coaches, not just a select few."

For more information about the GLIAC Media Service Award, please visit the GLIAC website at: www.gliac.org.