Trackwrestling hires journalist Andy Hamilton to lead its media content department
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by Trackwrestling
Trackwrestling has added to its growing platform by hiring four-time national wrestling writer of the year Andy Hamilton. He will lead the company's newly created media content department.
“I couldn't be happier to have hired a professional like Andy,” Trackwrestling founder and general manager Justin Tritz said. “He is a great writer and extremely well respected across the country. He fits in really well with our team and is going to do a great job building our media presence.”
Hamilton spent the past five years as the lead wrestling writer at the Des Moines Register, where he was responsible for the coverage of 26 college programs and more than 260 high schools across Iowa. He also covered college recruiting, high school and college football, auto racing and co-authored an award-winning weekly series in 2013 that documented wrestling's fight to regain its spot in the Olympics. Prior to joining Iowa's largest newspaper in 2011, he spent 12 years at the Iowa City Press-Citizen, where he handled the University of Iowa football and wrestling beats.
In all, Hamilton has covered the last 18 Iowa state high school wrestling tournaments, the Big Ten and NCAA Division-I Championships every year since 2000 and each of the last four Olympic Trials tournaments. He also covered eight college football bowl games, including the 2016 Rose Bowl, along with NFL games and NASCAR and IndyCar races.
“I can't express enough how grateful and excited I am to have the chance to cover the sport I'm most passionate about on a full-time basis,” Hamilton said. “I'm blessed that Trackwrestling, SportsEngine and NBC Sports have provided me with a tremendous opportunity that allows me to do what I love and also checks off a lot of the top priorities in my life on a personal level. I'm looking forward to building more relationships with coaches and athletes across the country and delivering stories that reach the masses in the wrestling world and help enhance the sport.”
In March, Hamilton was named the National Wrestling Media Association's journalist of the year, becoming the first two-time winner in the award's history. He received the NWMA award for the first time in 2004, won Amateur Wrestling News' Dellinger Award as the top wrestling writer in the country in 2005 and was honored by W.I.N. Magazine as its journalist of the year in 2011.
“The move that Trackwrestling made in acquiring Andy Hamilton was a smart move,” W.I.N. Magazine editor Mike Finn said. “Adding Andy makes Trackwrestling a legitimate and professional media outlet.”
SportsEngine is now part of the NBC Sports Group. Earlier this week, the company announced its acquisition of Trackwrestling. The Trackwrestling team immediately joins SportsEngine and will continue supporting more than 7,000 wrestling events and customers. Hamilton will combine with Shane Sparks of Trackwrestling and the Big Ten Network and a team of contributors to create a media platform for Trackwrestling.
“Andy brings one of the most respected reputations in wrestling,” Sparks said. “His integrity and credibility within the sport makes him a huge addition to Trackwrestling.”
Hamilton will be based out of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
“Andy Hamilton understands wrestling as well as anyone,” Gable Museum director Kyle Klingman said. “Having Andy work out of the Gable Museum will only raise our level. Andy is indispensable to our sport. We are honored to have him in our facility.”
“I couldn't be happier to have hired a professional like Andy,” Trackwrestling founder and general manager Justin Tritz said. “He is a great writer and extremely well respected across the country. He fits in really well with our team and is going to do a great job building our media presence.”
Hamilton spent the past five years as the lead wrestling writer at the Des Moines Register, where he was responsible for the coverage of 26 college programs and more than 260 high schools across Iowa. He also covered college recruiting, high school and college football, auto racing and co-authored an award-winning weekly series in 2013 that documented wrestling's fight to regain its spot in the Olympics. Prior to joining Iowa's largest newspaper in 2011, he spent 12 years at the Iowa City Press-Citizen, where he handled the University of Iowa football and wrestling beats.
In all, Hamilton has covered the last 18 Iowa state high school wrestling tournaments, the Big Ten and NCAA Division-I Championships every year since 2000 and each of the last four Olympic Trials tournaments. He also covered eight college football bowl games, including the 2016 Rose Bowl, along with NFL games and NASCAR and IndyCar races.
“I can't express enough how grateful and excited I am to have the chance to cover the sport I'm most passionate about on a full-time basis,” Hamilton said. “I'm blessed that Trackwrestling, SportsEngine and NBC Sports have provided me with a tremendous opportunity that allows me to do what I love and also checks off a lot of the top priorities in my life on a personal level. I'm looking forward to building more relationships with coaches and athletes across the country and delivering stories that reach the masses in the wrestling world and help enhance the sport.”
In March, Hamilton was named the National Wrestling Media Association's journalist of the year, becoming the first two-time winner in the award's history. He received the NWMA award for the first time in 2004, won Amateur Wrestling News' Dellinger Award as the top wrestling writer in the country in 2005 and was honored by W.I.N. Magazine as its journalist of the year in 2011.
“The move that Trackwrestling made in acquiring Andy Hamilton was a smart move,” W.I.N. Magazine editor Mike Finn said. “Adding Andy makes Trackwrestling a legitimate and professional media outlet.”
SportsEngine is now part of the NBC Sports Group. Earlier this week, the company announced its acquisition of Trackwrestling. The Trackwrestling team immediately joins SportsEngine and will continue supporting more than 7,000 wrestling events and customers. Hamilton will combine with Shane Sparks of Trackwrestling and the Big Ten Network and a team of contributors to create a media platform for Trackwrestling.
“Andy brings one of the most respected reputations in wrestling,” Sparks said. “His integrity and credibility within the sport makes him a huge addition to Trackwrestling.”
Hamilton will be based out of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
“Andy Hamilton understands wrestling as well as anyone,” Gable Museum director Kyle Klingman said. “Having Andy work out of the Gable Museum will only raise our level. Andy is indispensable to our sport. We are honored to have him in our facility.”
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