Alumnus earns All-American sportscaster status

John Kurtz has always loved sports.

"As a kid, I didn't watch movies or TV shows much. I was playing sports, or watching ESPN and K-State highlights," Kurtz said. "Every year, I'd come out here from Johnson County and watch K-State games."

Kurtz, newly graduated from K-State, has been awarded All-American status as a sportscaster by the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America. Kurtz came in at number two in the nation for the Jim Nantz Award.

"Being an All-American ranks you as one of the top six collegiate sportscasters in the nation," said Jon Chelesnik, CEO and founder of the STAA and K-State alumnus. "When we narrow it down to the finalists, I review their demos and tapes. Then, we finally have a panel of industry experts decide on the rankings."

The top-rated All-American award recipient receives the Jim Nantz Award.

"When I originally designed this award, I was thinking of a sportscaster that embodies this company's values," Chelesnik said. "Jim Nantz is a five-time award-winning sportscaster most well known for his work with CBS; I couldn't think of anyone better. He was gracious enough to be a part of this distinction."

STAA rated Kurtz, who now works full time at KMAN-AM 1350 in Manhattan, amongst the top six finalists, which landed him the All-American status.

In high school, Kurtz was able to incorporate broadcasting into his love of sports.

"I was able to record and broadcast some of the high school games and K-State highlights while I was in Blue Valley," Kurtz said. "I really enjoyed it."

When he arrived at K-State, Kurtz pursued his passions even further. One of his friends worked at KSDB-FM 91.9.

"He got me involved and the rest is history," Kurtz said.

Since 2008, Kurtz has been one of the most prominent voices in Manhattan sportscasting. Kurtz began as an intern at Wildcat 91.9 his sophomore year. His hard work and passion propelled him into a part-time position with the station in 2009.

He became an executive staff member, working as a sports talk reporter and eventually achieved the position of sports director. He was in charge of a staff of 20 people, as well as working with the sports information directors at the university. As sports director, Kurtz also hosted a weekly talk show and provided play-by-play coverage for K-State football, basketball and baseball.

Kurtz also worked with KMAN, providing even more sportscasting and news coverage of local events. Outside of Manhattan, Kurtz served as a sportscaster in Salina, Junction City and Kansas City, providing sports talk commentary for area high school games and some collegiate sporting events.

Kurtz said the height of his sportscasting experience was K-State's basketball season two years ago.

"As the sports director, I got to do the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City," Kurtz said. "And during March Madness, I got to cover the first two games in Oklahoma City. It was a blast being in the middle of the action."

Kurtz's dedication to sports coverage caught the attention of the STAA.

"John Kurtz really impressed me with his demos," Chelesnik said. "He does great sportscasting."

As an All-American sportscaster, Kurtz has a prestigious addition to his resume that is likely to impress future employers. Many employers in the sports broadcasting industry use information from the STAA to seek out the talented individuals they need.

"When I'm in need of a fill-in talent for one of our many schools, I use the STAA Talent Search," said Tom Boman, broadcast manager for Learfield Sports. "In a matter of minutes, I can search for talent in the area I need and hear their demos. It makes the process very easy."

Ken Schamborn, general manager of 1510 ESPN in Great Bend, agreed.

"I know when I need quality talent that I can turn to STAA," Schamborn said.

Kurtz hopes his All-American status may one day help him land his dream job.

"I want to be the voice of a Division I school," Kurtz said. "Right now I do sports talk locally, but I hope to one day do play-by-play reporting. That's something only the top sportscasters can do full time."