Matt Burglund of the Indiana Gazette is presented with the 2011 PSAC Heaslip Award by PSAC commissioner Steve Murray.
Burglund Wins PSAC Heaslip Media Award
Matt Burglund of the Indiana Gazette has been chosen as the winner of the 2011 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference George Heaslip Media Award. Burglund received his award Monday among peers and colleagues at the PSAC Football Media Luncheon hosted by Slippery Rock University.
Burglund, who serves as a writer and columnist, has been employed at the Indiana Gazette since 1998. He has performed the role of beat writer for Indiana (Pa.) University's nationally competitive football program since 2000. During that time Burglund has missed only four contests and has followed the Crimson Hawks in six additional states outside of Pennsylvania. His thorough coverage includes a minimum of four stories per week -- two following each game, a full-page Friday preview and a mid-week story on Wednesdays.
In addition to his IUP coverage, Burglund has written numerous features on local athletes at other PSAC institutions and has been employed as a stringer to assist other newspapers in various PSAC coverage areas. Well-respected throughout the football community, Burglund is a voting member for the Lambert/Meadowlands Trophy, presented annually to the top program in the East. Furthermore, he has served as a voting member for the top 25 poll and currently serves as a PSAC columnist for the D2Football.com Web site.
Burglund becomes the 23rd 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:
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