2009 KSHSAA GOVERNOR'S AWARD RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED

Annually, the Kansas State High School Activities Association presents an award known as the Governor's Award, to an individual in recognition for their outstanding contributions in the field of secondary education in the state of Kansas. We are pleased to announce Ray Patterson of Rozel, Kansas, has been selected as the recipient of this prestigious honor in 2009.

Ray Patterson has committed his professional life to youth and the improvement of education in the state of Kansas. A graduate of Rozel High School, Mr. Patterson holds degrees from Dodge City Community College, Fort Hays State University and Wichita State University. An accomplished athlete, Patterson played on two KSHSAA state championship basketball teams at Rozel. As a two year letterman in three sports, he was named a junior college All American. While attending Wichita State University, Patterson earned two letters in football. For the past five years, Mr. Patterson has served as the dual Superintendent of USD #496 Pawnee Heights and USD #228 Hanston where he is widely known and respected by his professional colleagues across the state. Prior to becoming superintendent, Patterson served as a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal in the Pawnee Heights district for twenty-three years. During his administrative career, Patterson has been honored by the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals and the Southern Plains/Iroquois Activities Association, and served as president of that league. In addition, he served the schools of Kansas as a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association Board of Directors for six years, and the Executive Board for a term of two years. Under Patterson's leadership, Pawnee Heights Elementary School won the Kansas Governor's Achievement Award for scoring in the top 5% of all elementary schools in the state in reading and math, each of the last two years.

The Governor's Award will be presented to Mr. Patterson on Saturday, March 14th at the Class 1A state basketball tournament, prior to the boys' championship game.

2009 KSHSAA Oscar Stauffer Awards Announced

Presented annually by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, the Oscar Stauffer Awards recognize excellence in the fields of sportscasting and sportswriting, and acknowledge meritorious service through coverage of interscholastic sports programs in Kansas. Sportscaster award applicants submit play-by-play tapes for evaluation. The Kansas Association of Broadcasters selects the honoree. Sportswriter nominations are submitted by the high schools of Kansas and the selection is made by a committee of the Kansas Coaches Association.

The 2009 Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year award winner is Mike Manns, news and sports director of KMAJ-AM/FM Radio in Topeka. A native of Junction City, Kansas, Manns graduated from St. Xavier High School in Junction City. He continued his education at Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University and the Kansas City Career Academy of Broadcasting. Manns is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he trained in radio electronics, sonar and television.

Manns first experience in the Kansas radio broadcast industry was at KNBI radio in Norton, where he served as disc jockey in addition to reporting news and sports. Since 1975 he has continued in the employment of Midland Broadcasting and Cumulus Broadcasting as an anchor, and director, of both news and sports. For more than thirty years, Kansans have enjoyed Manns' reporting high school sports, local and regional news on KMAJ radio in Topeka. In addition to his broadcasting duties at the high school level, Manns served as the play by play voice of Kansas University women's basketball from 1994 through 1997. Manns' involvement with interscholastic sports also includes an eight year stint as head football coach at Robinson Middle School in Topeka.

Mike Manns is being honored with the KSHSAA Oscar Stauffer Award for a second time, having previously won the award in 1994. Manns and his wife Vickie, reside in Topeka, and are parents of two daughters and grandparents to one granddaughter. In his broadcast career, Mike Manns has done play by play of more than three thousand (3,000) high school football, basketball, baseball, softball and soccer games.

The 2009 Oscar Stauffer Sportswriter of the Year award winner is Mr. Dick Boyd, of the Norton Telegram. Dick Boyd's passion for journalism and covering Kansas high school sports has been his life story. A native of Concordia, Kansas, Dick grew up and graduated from Mankato High School where his grandparents and parents published the Jewell County Record weekly newspaper. After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class and winning nine high school athletic letters, he enrolled at Kansas State University on a football scholarship. While at K-State, Boyd played for the Wildcats for four years and was named "Most Inspirational Player." He graduated with a journalism degree as a second lieutenant in ROTC. Upon graduation, Boyd entered the U.S. Army for three years, and was discharged in 1962 as a first lieutenant. During his military service, Boyd served as head coach of the football team at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, gaining valuable insights which would serve him later as a sports writer.

Following his military service, Boyd returned to Phillipsburg, Kansas and for eight years served as a news reporter, sports reporter, advertising salesman, photographer and jack of all trades for the Phillips County Review. Since 1970, Dick Boyd has worked for, owned and served as publisher of the Norton Daily Telegram which later became the Norton Telegram. Mr. Boyd has been very active in his community and is an avid supporter of Kansas schools, having been honored by the Norton school district as "Blue Jay Booster of the Year." For more than 47 years, Dick Boyd has continued to provide extensive coverage of high school sports in the Norton and Phillipsburg area and to the schools of northwest Kansas.

In commenting on his selection for the KSHSAA award, Boyd said, "I've always felt privileged to do something I love to do and get paid to do it. I grew up in a newspaper family that emphasized the importance of reporting positive news about our community. I have always used that philosophy in reporting all my news stories, including sports. Having played sports while growing up, I know the joy of winning as well as the sting of defeat. That is why I always try to find a positive note of encouragement after a loss. Our young people are the future of our country and sports help teach them lessons for life, such as teamwork, sportsmanship, citizenship, integrity, the rewards of hard work, living a wholesome life and learning the value of competing for a goal."

The 2009 Oscar Stauffer Sportswriter of the Year award will be presented to Mr. Boyd on Saturday, February 28th at the 3-2-1A state wrestling tournament prior to the championship finals.