Media of the Year - 2003

ANDY SAMUELSON
Lawrence Journal-World

Andy Samuelson of the Lawrence Journal-World is one of this year's winners of the Media of the Year Award given for outstanding coverage of the sport of wrestling.

Samuelson and co-LJW sports writer Mike Miller worked hard at providing coverage for wrestling to the city schools of Lawrence and Free State High School as well as the area schools such as Baldwin, DeSoto, Eudora, Mill Valley, Oskaloosa, Ottawa, Perry-Lecompton, Santa Fe Trail, Tonganoxie, and Wellsville. The duo provided feature stories on team or individuals having an extraordinary season, as well as covering duals on a weekly basis. They provided pre and post coverage of the league, regional, and state tournaments, as well as pre-season capsules and dual meet line scores.

Samuelson received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Kansas in 2003. He previously received an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Wichita State University in 2000. He worked as a sports writer for the Wichita Eagle from 1996-2001.

Samuelson, originally from Oakley, comes from a family of wrestlers and wrestling coaches. He sees the need to provide quality coverage to the sport of wrestling, and is intrigued by the passionate devotion wrestling fans have to their sport.

"I try to provide quality community coverage of a high school sport that can often be overlooked, but unlike any other high school activity is uniquely embraced by its energetic participants and fans."