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Rick Teverbaugh, who has chronicled the scene in two hotbeds of Indiana high school sports for the last 37 years, has been selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee to receive the 2012-13 Distinguished Media Service Award for District 2.

Teverbaugh’s contributions will be recognized on Friday during pre-game festivities at the Richmond-Anderson boys basketball game in Anderson. IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox and Sports Information Director Jason Wille will make the presentation.

This is the 28th year the IHSAA has recognized outstanding members of the Indiana news media from each of its three legislative districts for excellence in the coverage of high school sports. District 2 covers 28 counties across northern and central Indiana.

The 61-year-old Teverbaugh, who is married to Denise Ebbert, has spent his entire journalistic career at two newspapers, the Anderson Herald-Bulletin, where he currently serves as sports editor, and the Muncie Star.

He was born in New Castle, moved to Anderson in 1961 and graduated from Madison Heights High School in 1969 where he wrote for his school newspaper as a junior and senior. He began working as a sports writer for the Muncie Star in 1975 while working towards his journalism degree which he earned in 1979 from Ball State University.

He began his tenure with the Anderson Herald, which later became the Herald-Bulletin, in February, 1983 and also had a previous three-year stint as sports editor during the early 1990s. He left that original post in order to focus more time covering area student-athletes and the games they played. He’s currently in his third year in charge once again.

Under his direction, the Herald-Bulletin’s sports section earned the 2012 award for Best Sports Section from the Hoosier State Press Association.

In addition to his duties, Teverbaugh created an annual award sponsored by the Herald-Bulletin and also helped initiate a local radio program.

The Johnny Wilson Award, now in its sixth year and named in honor of the 1946 Indiana Mr. Basketball and Anderson High School three-sport star, is awarded to the top area boy and girl who possess the qualities most admired in (Jumping) Johnny Wilson - character and commitment to being a three-sport athlete. Wilson annually attends the awards banquet as does former Brooklyn Dodgers great and Anderson native Carl Erskine.

Teverbaugh also had a hand in bringing about “Not for Print”, a weekly radio program that aired on Thursdays at 7 pm on WHBU 1240 AM for the last four years. Along with other members of the Herald-Bulletin staff, the group covers topics related to area sports teams and players and occasionally into the collegiate and professional ranks.

“Rick is constantly looking at the human interest side of sports and he recognizes that great athletes are great people even at the high school level,” says Shenandoah Principal Charles Willis. “He is an outstanding sports writer. More so, he is a great supporter of our youth and what they are capable of accomplishing.”

He’s covered many teams and individuals during his time but includes the Shenandoah girls basketball teams who made four state finals appearances in five seasons including state championships in 2003 and 2005 among his most enjoyable. He also cherishes having covered and getting to know the Lewis family which produced brothers Kendrick, Scott and Troy (1984 Mr. Basketball) who were part of the great Anderson Indians basketball teams of the 1980s.

“Not only were they great athletes but they were great people, very respectful young men,” Teverbaugh commented. “They didn’t have that sense of entitlement just because they were basketball stars. Their parents had a lot to do with that.”

Teverbaugh is the third individual to be honored this school year joining Lynn Houser, retired sportswriter of the Bloomington Herald-Times and Andy McCord of WJOT Radio in Wabash. Previous Award Winners

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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.