WRITING SAMPLES

“The University of Iowa campus is no stranger to the construction and renovation of its many athletic facilities, having seen the completion of over $115 million dollars worth of projects over the past ten years.  The design and planning of these facilities is no small venture and can take years of preparation, “What’s interesting is a lot of times people think that when they start hearing about a facility, that’s the first point where we have started to work on it, and that’s usually not the case,” explains Director of Athletics at the University of Iowa, Gary Barta…”

“IOWA CITY, IA— The Iowa men’s basketball team beat No. 13 Ranked Michigan Saturday afternoon, 75-59.  The Hawkeyes gave up the lead only once to the Wolverines, but found themselves with a comfortable 10-point cushion for a majority of the second half…”

“Chicago Blackhawks fans have spent over eighty-five years donning their home team’s iconic sweater.  Recognized by ice hockey fans internationally, the logo is widely accepted as the best logo for an NHL team in existence. The image of the Native American head has cause some controversy over the years, but franchise owners and fans are confident that their beloved logo will never be questioned with its rich history…” 

“Cold and windy conditions were expected in Iowa City, but after Iowa’s 22-21 loss to Minnesota last week, a win over #13 ranked Michigan was not in the forecast for football fans.  Iowa delivered, never giving up the lead and winning it all 24-16.  This is the first time in the series Iowa has beaten the Michigan Wolverines three years in a row.

Head Coach Kirk Ferentz doubts the Hawks had the loss last week completely out of their minds, but James Vandenburg thinks the defeat helped his teammates to focus, “I think we knew we didn’t play as well as we could have last week, and we knew this was a good team coming in here, but we feel like we can play with anybody, we just have to play well…”

“Hopefully at some point in your life you have laced up a pair of ice skates, be they hockey, figure, or those stylish double-bladed ones your parents forced you into as a child.  Whether you’re the next Ron Ellis, or a complete bender, chances are pretty good you had a great time falling down, getting up, and whizzing past your friends.

But for quite awhile, unless you were lucky enough to live in a year-long winter wonderland where the ponds were always frozen, skating on that precious ice was short-lived.  Then, the dawn of the indoor ice rink!  Allowing ice access year-round for toe picks and flicks…”

“The Chicago Blackhawks are on an eight game losing streak… officially surpassing their ’07 seven game losing streak…”

“IOWA CITY, IA—UI Sophomore, Dave Svac, does not remember his first hockey game, but that is because he was only six months old the first time his parents suited him up to go see a Pittsburg Penguins game.  “My mom was scared to death that I would get hit with a puck,” explains Svac, whose life today brings him in and out of hockey rinks year-round.

“I was the quiet one in the locker room,” admits Svac who joined the University of Iowa Hockey Club Team his freshman year, but this humble demeanor did not stop the young athlete from stepping right up into the position as president of the club…”

“Iowa City, IOWA—David Patton sprang up from his office chair to point out a framed newspaper clipping on the opposite wall.  Tracing his finger over a photograph of huge shafts of rock, reminiscent of a tree hit by lightening, stretching into the sky, he quickly recalled the familiar routes of the vertical climb before proudly pointing out a small figure clinging to the rock face, “That’s my wife there.”  Patton settled back into his seat and continued the account of his first trip up those cliffs, the day he saved a man’s life…”

“Every time Kinnick Stadium roars with excitement as images of the Iowa Hawkeyes walking down the infamous stretch of tunnel flash on the big screen high above the crowd, another university team has already been hard at work for hours.

Jim Berg has been directing media and instant replay operations in the belly of Kinnick Stadium for fifteen years, and even with all that experience, Berg admits, “the hardest part of the whole day is getting to the game.”

Hours of preparation and planning go into every Hawkeye home football game and Berg counts on his staff to pull through every weekend.   In a cramped cement room with no windows beneath the stadium, Berg and his team of seven control all aspects of Kinnick Stadiums media screens and audio.  Over $800,000 worth of equipment is put to use to bring fans instant replays, live statistics, and the beloved Pancheros’ “Burrito Lift…”

“Every spring for the past six years the University of Iowa Men’s Hockey Club has hosted an affordable youth hockey camp in the Coral Ridge Mall Ice Arena.

I sat down with current Club President and UI junior, Dave Svac, to talk about the developing program and his experiences growing up playing the greatest game on ice.  Dave has been a big part of organizing the youth hockey camp for the past three years, and looks forward to another great session giving back to the community and mentoring young players…”

“Iowa City native, Tim Dwight, began his football career as a Hawkeye before he charged on to play professionally for multiple NFL teams around the country.  Through his many transitions over the years, Dwight has always stood by his philosophy of preparation, “be ready, that’s what I would always say,” Dwight explains.

After almost a decade in the NFL, Dwight recognized an opportunity to leave his football days behind him.  “I was ready to be done,” says Dwight about the transition…”

“The hit speaks for itself, but there is still certainly more to say after a disgusting illegal hit leaves Chicago Blackhawk, Marian Hossa, carted off the ice on a stretcher, and his (I’m going to say attacker) attacker, Phoenix Coyote, Raffi Torres, on the bench and on the ice for the rest of regulation…”

“The 2012 NHL Draft is over, but there are still big fish in the water to be caught.  In an article by NHL.com, talking hockey business and the free agency period which begins this Sunday, there was one talent mentioned that I want to see in a red jersey sporting four feathers…”

“Representatives met again this afternoon in ongoing negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA over the expiring Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Executive Director of the NHLPA, Donald Fehr, said in a press conference Wednesday following the last of these meetings that the NHLPA was in progress of drafting a new counterproposal for the NHL following the most recent of proposals from the owners on Tuesday, and expected to present a new proposal to by this afternoon…”