By TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE – As the Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its annual writing awards on Thursday, Tennessee Tech took home another honor as sports information coordinator Thomas Corhern won first place in Best Feature Writing in the organization's annual writing contest.
The entry won the Division IV category, which includes sports information offices across the state.
Corhern's entries for the award included the story of former Golden Eagle offensive lineman Jake Hoot's journey from the Tucker Stadium turf to the Los Angeles stage of NBC's "The Voice," the story of Anthony Akers' experience representing the Tech football team at the NFL Draft as he worked the event in Nashville, and the story of freshman wide receiver Metrius Fleming overcoming the loss of his brother before reporting to his first camp with the Golden Eagles.
The judge's comments: "You could tell how much legwork, care and sheer perfection the winner injects into three unique stories, topped by the former Tech lineman turned singer who appeared on 'The Voice.'"
Corhern, beginning his fifth year back at Tech as a sports information coordinator, was won 13 first-place awards from the TSWA, also spanning his tenure at the Cookeville Herald-Citizen. Previously, he was also awarded a second-place and two third-place finishes in the Gary Lundy Writer of the Year category in Division II (newspapers under 15,000 circulation).
Last year, Corhern was also recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as the District 4 (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama) winner for Best Event Coverage in the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest and was in national consideration.
"While the methods have changed in sports information from the written word to more visual methods, the importance in telling stories is still our foremost responsibility," Corhern said. "Every student-athlete, coach and staff member at Tech – past, present and future – has a story to tell and we have to find the best way to express and record those."
