News

A well-respected radio voice in north central Indiana, Andy McCord has been selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Media Service Award for District I.

McCord’s contributions to high school sports will be recognized on Friday prior to the North Miami-Southwood boys basketball game in Wabash. IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox and Sports Information Director Jason Wille will make the presentation.

McCord has been the Operations Manager at WJOT in Wabash since 2007 where he also is heard as the play-by-play voice of each of the four Wabash County schools and heads up the Mi-Bash Sports Network that includes WJOT and WARU in Peru.

His interest in the radio industry and play-by-play announcing began at a young age thanks in part to his grandfather who worked as chief engineer for WBAT in Marion.

He began his career hosting Friday Night Sportstalk while calling some area games for WLHN in Elwood between 1995 and 1997 which then led to his first stint with WJOT where he co-hosted the Rockin’ Scoreboard program for two years.

From there, he spent another two years with WBAT/WCJC in Marion providing play-by-play for games among the various Grant County schools and as host of the “5th Quarter” program on Friday nights. He then served as play-by-play announcer for three Cass County schools while at WHZR in Logansport in 2005 and 2006.

During his career, he’s had the good fortune of covering area teams while broadcasting their games at the RCA Dome, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Victory Field and Ball State’s Worthen Arena. Among them were Oak Hill’s two appearances in the 2008 and 2009 IHSAA Girls Basketball State Finals, Southwood’s trip to the volleyball state finals and Northfield’s run to a state championship during the baseball state finals last June.

McCord is a 1991 graduate of Marion High School and later attended Indiana Wesleyan University. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children, Brad, Tori and Richie and are the proud grandparents of six. They reside in Sweetser, Ind.

This is the 28th year the IHSAA has recognized outstanding members of the Indiana news media from each of its legislative districts for excellence in the coverage of high school sports. McCord is the second of three individuals to be honored this school year joining Lynn Houser, retired sportswriter of the Bloomington Herald-Times. District 1 covers 22 counties across northern Indiana. Previous Award Winners

***

About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)
Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 410 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.