Dorksen earns 3 OPSWA awards
Aaron Dorksen
Editor's note: In the print version of this story, it was incorrectly reported that Aaron Dorksen had won two Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association Awards. Dorksen actually won three awards.
The Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association announced the results of its annual writing and photography contest. There were five writing categories in two divisions based on circulation size and photography awards in one category. The contest included submissions from the 2021 calendar year and was judged by OPSWA members from around the state.
Aaron Dorksen, who writes for the Holmes Bargain Hunter, Wayne Bargain Hunter and the Wooster Weekly News, earned two awards — fourth place in Div. II feature stories and fifth place in Div. II game stories.
Earning Writer of the Year honors were Curt Conrad from the Richland Source in Div. I and Rob McCurdy from the Marion Star in Div. II. Julie Billings from the Pike County News Watchman earned a first-place finish in game action photography.
Writers and photographers were judged on a body of work that included three submissions per category.
The OPSWA membership roster now stands at 204 writers and photographers around the state, which marks the most in its 49-year history. Founded in 1972, the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association works to support and enhance the coverage of high school sports in Ohio and to recognize superior writing among sports journalists. In 2010 the OPSWA partnered with the Ohio High School Athletic Association to create a website, establish electronic communications and increase its membership and recognition.
The OPSWA website is located at www.ohsaa.org/news/OPSWA and includes the membership directory, officers information, Hall of Fame inductees and other updates.