Zach Dirlam, left, works closely with Florida's track & field programs throughout the year. (Photo: UAA Communications)
Dirlam Named CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest Award Winner
Friday, May 31, 2019 | Track and Field
Florida’s Assistant Director of Communications Zach Dirlam was named a CoSIDA Fred Stabley Writing Contest Award Winner.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the athletics communications profession, sports information directors are called upon to use their writing skills each and every day to create and capture tremendous stories that captivate their audience. With that said, University Athletic Association Assistant Director of Communications Zach Dirlam has garnered the 2018-19 CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest national award for event coverage.
Dirlam won the prize with his outstanding piece on Florida student-athlete Amanda Froeynes, a heptathlete competing at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The story takes the reader through the experience of completing a heptathlon at the event, primarily through first-person storytelling by Froeynes and Florida's coaching staff.
Dirlam's article above was one of 400-plus entries across seven categories (athlete feature, coach/administrator/historical feature, general feature, blog, event coverage, story with video, second preview/recap). He has previously garnered three district honors over the past few years, two during his time at the University of Florida and one in the event coverage category in 2014-15 during his time at Grand Valley State University.
In addition, Dirlam was recognized last summer by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as the Division I recipient of the Excellence in Communications Award for the 2018 track and field season.
This award recognizes those athletics communications representatives at conferences and/or schools who have committed to outstanding coverage and support of collegiate track & field. Winners were selected by the communications staff at the USTFCCCA national office after a nomination period.
"Zach is the best SID in the country," Florida assistant coach Nic Petersen wrote in Dirlam's nomination form last summer. "He continues to improve and upgrade the way Florida Track and Field is marketed to the public. Whether it is articles, tweets, videos or a well-timed GIF, there is no one better. He's a great feature writer – on athletes and coaches – and can tell the story of a track meet, a track athlete or a particular moment during a meet."
Dirlam will be recognized at the CoSIDA Convention in June for his national award.
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