National winners announced for the 2025-26 CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest

6/1/2026 12:00:00 PM

National winners announced for the 2025-26 CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest

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• Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest
• 2025-26 Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest District Winners

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National winners announced for the 2025-26 CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest in University and College Divisions

CSC awards National Story of the Year honors in the University Division (Division I) and the College Division. For the second-straight year and a fifth time overall, Princeton’s Jerry Price won the University Division, this year with his feature Tiger Bech Feature Story: "The Energy Of Love In The University". Steve Bradley of Roberts Wesleyan took the story of the year in the College Division with his story "After more than 50 years, basketball relic returns to campus."

The captivating tale of a 50-plus-year-old piece of a broken bleacher and the tragic tale of a 27-year-old former football player took home top honors in the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest.

After more than 50 years, basketball relic returns to campus by Steve Bradley of Roberts Wesleyan University was selected as National Story of the Year in the College Division, while Tiger Bech Feature Story: "The Energy Of Love In The Universe" by Jerry Price of Princeton University earned recognition as National Story of the Year in Division I.

“How do you write the unwritable?” begins Price’s second consecutive National Story of the Year and his fifth overall.

Bech, a wide receiver and kick returner for the Tigers, was killed on New Year’s Day 2025 in a deadly pickup truck attack in New Orleans. Price interviewed his mother, Michelle Bech, and his best friend, former teammate Ryan Quigley, just two weeks later.

“I was torn between wanting to tell Tiger’s story and feeling like I was intruding on their overwhelming grief in the moment,” he said. “Michelle and Ryan were so open to wanting to let everyone knew who Tiger was and to do so while the emotions of the moment were so raw that it made me feel a responsibility to them to tell Tiger’s story and theirs.

“To see how much they were relying on each other to get through what was unthinkable was so uplifting, even in that horrible moment.”

Bradley’s winning entry was more than a half-century in the making. After Roberts Wesleyan posted a landmark basketball win against heavily favored Buffalo State in 1967, four fans in attendance took home a unique souvenir that made its way around the country before coming back home to the school in Rochester, New York, in 2024.

“I realized that a piece that I thought might make a nice sidebar went beyond basketball,” said Bradley. “It wasn't about a piece of wood that had been passed around for more than 50 years, this piece of history was about enduring friendship, loyalty and love.”

The story took on additional significance for Bradley when he was diagnosed with colon cancer around the time he was planning to write the story. He transcribed the interviews and worked on the story from the hospital, reaching his goal of publishing it before his scheduled surgery.

“Working on the story helped me to focus on something positive as I faced uncertainty, which I will always be grateful for,” he said.

Nearly 500 entries were submitted in seven categories in the 2025-26 contest. Each category was first judged on the district level, with the winners then advancing to national consideration. All national category winners were considered for National Story of the Year.

All stories had to have an original publish date between January 1-December 31, 2025 to be eligible.

Sarah Kirkpatrick Ryan of Holy Cross was the only individual to have two national category winners, taking first place in the Division I Athlete Profile and Season Recap/Preview categories.

“I am honored to win this award,” said Price. “I appreciate the way that social media has changed this profession and that the need for what has come to be known as ‘content creation’ is often dominant — but I also think that there will always be a place for those who sit back, observe, take it all in, and then produce a written record that lasts forever.

“Thank you to the people on the writing contest committee for recognizing me and congratulations to everyone who still puts words to paper and puts it out there."

Bradley also acknowledged CSC for “continuing to recognize the value of storytelling, especially with all of the changes the industry has endured.” And while reporting that his surgery and subsequent chemotherapy went well and life has returned to "normal," he had an additional message for his colleagues:

“I encourage others to get regular checkups and listen to their bodies, no matter how busy they are.”

2025-26 Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest National Winners and Runners-Up

National Story of the Year - University Division
Winner: Jerry Price, Princeton - Tiger Bech Feature Story: "The Energy Of Love In The Universe"
Runner-up: Michael Rovetto, Maryland - Never Cutting Corners: The Work Ethic That Built Buzz Williams’ Coaching Empire

Athlete Profile - Division I
Winner: Sarah Kirkpatrick Ryan, Holy Cross - Punni’s football path guided by gratitude, faith, determination
Runner-up: Jerry Price, Princeton - McKnight Pederson Feature Story: The Heart And Soul

Coach/Administrator Profile - Division I
Winner: Michael Rovetto, Maryland - Never Cutting Corners: The Work Ethic That Built Buzz Williams’ Coaching Empire
Runner-up (tie): Chris Harry, Florida - Consummate Academic 'Custodian' Bids Farewell
Runner-up (tie): Graham Hays, Vanderbilt - On-the-Job Training

Event Coverage - Division I
Winner: Chris Harry, Florida - Cold-Blooded Clayton Catapults Gators to Final Four
Runner-up: Jeremy Hartigan, Cornell - National Champs! Lacrosse Claims NCAA Title With 13-10 Win Over Maryland

General Feature/Blog - Division I
Winner: Jerry Price, Princeton - Tiger Bech Feature Story: "The Energy Of Love In The Universe"
Runner-up: Alexander Semadeni, Boise State - Jelly Roll Meditation

Historical Feature - Division I
Winner (tie): John Hartrick, Binghamton - Winning Edge Fall 2025
Winner (tie): Stan Cole, Campbell - Woodrow Upchurch: Buies Creek to the big leagues and back

Season Recap/Preview - Division I
Winner: Sarah Kirkpatrick Ryan, Holy Cross - Crusaders celebrate resilient journey to NCAA Tournament
Runner-up: Michael Rovetto, Maryland - Maryland Baseball 2025 Season Preview: Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime

Social Justice/Diversity - Division I
Winner: Aaron Johnson, Purdue Fort Wayne - Raising Kylo: Sydney Freeman's Journey as a Mother and Division I Basketball Player
Runner-up: Brady Ruth, Maryland - Zachary McFarland: Everyone’s Friend

Student Submission - Division I
Winner: Liv Sewell, Colorado State - Keep the Fire Burning While Passing the Torch
Runner-up: Julianne Garnett, Maryland - Maryland Love Connection: Jake & Jasmine Layman

College Sports Information Directors of America

National winners announced for the 2025-26 CSC Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest

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