Media of the Year - 2006

CHRIS WRISTEN
Lansing Current

In only a year and a half as a sports reporter for the Lansing Current, Chris Wristen has caught the eye of the Lansing area wrestling community. His outstanding work has earned him a Media of the Year award by the KWCA.

Wristen provided daily coverage of the Lansing wrestling program, including stories, photo galleries, and video. Any state championship match involving a Lansing wrestler can be viewed in its entirety on the web. He also provided updates on the web from the state tournament for the past two years. While working at the Lawrence Journal-World, Wristen wrote an extensive feature about girls in wrestling.

Wristen graduated from KU in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He completed a master’s degree in sports administration in 2003.

He worked for the University Daily Kansan from 1999-2002 as a sports reporter. He was a sports reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal from 2000-03, and at the Lawrence Journal-World from 2003-2004.

“I was not a wrestler in high school, but I have grown to love the sport,” Wristen said. “It is really the most media-friendly sport, and I have been blessed to cover a championship-caliber program with so many outstanding coaches and kids. That makes my job easier and more enjoyable. The sport teaches so many valuable life lessons, so it has a lot to offer kids. Plus, journalists in many ways are ambassadors for the sport because it is through our words that the average sports fan sees the sport.”