The Louisiana Tech Strategic Communications department picked up five awards in the 2023 Louisiana Sports Writers Association state SID contest, announced Sunday at the awards luncheon in Natchitoches.
Three of the five awards won first place, tied for the most of any department in the state across the eight divisions and tied for the second most at LA Tech since 2018. It also marked the 12th consecutive year LA Tech has garnered at least five awards with the department having now totaled 117 awards in the state contest over the past 20+ years.
In the Division IV Release/Feature (Olympic Sports) category, Kane McGuire won first place for his feature on Louisiana Tech Hall of Fame track star Bryant Wesco (READ HERE).
“Every athlete has a story and the writer winning this category did a marvelous job of telling the story of an All-American long and triple jumper who arrived at Louisiana Tech,” said the judges.
McGuire also took home third place in Division V (Game Notes) category for his Bulldog Basketball game notes against Florida Atlantic. He has now won 18 awards in his 11 years with the department, including five first-place feature stories in the last four years.
Courtney Pugh of Donnie Bell Design swept first and second place in the Division VII (College Graphics) category. The first-place graphic was that of former Bulldogs Milton Williams, Boston Scott, and L’Jarius Sneed set to face off in Super Bowl LVII while the second-place graphic was that of former Bulldog Taylor Young setting the single-season runs scored record at LA Tech.
“This graphic gives all the feels of Call of Duty. Brother versus brother on the battlefield of the gridiron,” said the judges about the first-place winning graphic.
This marked the second first-place winner for Pugh, having now placed five times in the last four years the division has existed.
Garnering her first LSU award was Kelsey Chanler who picked up a first-place finish in the Division VIII (Best College Photo) category, a photo of LA Tech third baseman Bailey Wright getting an unassisted double play versus LSU.
“This photo screams ‘And you’re out!’ A perfect vantage point of a great tag when the runner is short of the bag,” said the judges.
It marked the third time in the last four years a photographer associated with LA Tech won first place (Tom Morris – 2021, Darrell James – 2020).
