Rochelle News-Leader sports editor Russ Hodges has been selected as a finalist for Newsman of the Year from the Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association.
The IWCOA Awards Banquet will take place at Lyons Township High School on Sunday, April 8 where winners will be announced and recognized.
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ROCHELLE — Rochelle News-Leader sports editor Russ Hodges has been selected as a finalist for Newsman of the Year from the Illinois Wrestling Coaches & Officials Association.
The IWCOA Awards Banquet will take place at Lyons Township High School on Sunday, April 8 where winners will be announced and recognized.
“Russ has done an outstanding job covering wrestling and all sports in Rochelle, and he goes the extra mile for our programs, reporting on all levels at both home and away matches,” said RTHS assistant principal and head wrestling coach Rich Harvey, who will be taking over as athletic director at the school after this year.
Along with Hodges, other sports reporters who are finalists include Brian Weidman of Sauk Valley Newspapers, Curt Herron from the Herald News, Sean Hammond of the Northwest Herald and Terry Duckett of Quad Cities Online.
“Russ is without a doubt a deserving finalist for this award,” said News-Leader publisher John Shank. “He has done a terrific job during his tenure here of not only providing timely game and match coverage of all sports, but also writing a variety of interesting features on local youth, high school and college players. On top of the print articles, Russ has also connected with the young athletes and their families by touting their performances through regular social media posts.”
Hodges joins several Rochelle Township High School coaches and athletes up for IWCOA awards this year, including wrestler Alex Harvey, coaches Rich Harvey, Carl Harvey and Kyle Bridgeman and athletic director Kevin Crandall. In addition, former Hub wrestling standout Nate Kessen, who now lives in Sugar Grove, is a finalist for Official of the Year.
“Russ finds ways throughout the season to highlight as many athletes he can, and above all he gets to know the kids and coaches, which allows him to gain a perspective other than just their stats and performances,” Harvey added. “We at RTHS want to thank Russ and the News-Leader for all their hard work and support, and congratulate him on being a finalist for Newsman of the Year.”
