EUGENE, Ore. – This weekend at the Oregon Association of Broadcasters (OAB) annual conference in Sunriver, Oregon, NCU’s Danny Havel was named the Radio Sports Announcer of the Year.
The Oregon Association of Broadcasters is a member supported trade association representing the management of Radio and Television stations in the state of Oregon. Membership consists of all 28 commercial TV stations, and 182 of the 195 commercial Radio stations. In addition, there are more than 50 Associate members. Educational Radio and Television stations are well represented in the OAB, as are the state’s colleges and universities. Havel has been a member of the OAB for the past 15 years.
The OAB gives out numerous awards each year for all facets of broadcasting and Havel was recognized for his stellar work calling the NCU men’s basketball games during the 2013-2014 season on KLZS-AM.
Havel said, “It is, of course, an honor that among so many great sports broadcasters in Oregon, that the work we did on behalf of NCU and KLZS All Comedy 1450 would be singled out as the Best in Oregon for 2014. Being honored by my peers makes this award very special.
Havel is a well-respected and well-traveled personality in sports broadcasting, having logged over 2,800 games at the professional, collegiate and high school levels over the past 30 years. His work has landed him previous honors from the OAB, the Associated Press, and United Press International. He was named the the OAB Radio Sports Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year in 1994 and was awarded Sports Broadcaster of the Year in Kansas in 2008.
Havel has been the “Voice of the Beacons” for the men’s and women’s basketball teams for the past four years, calling the games for internet broadcasts. Last season NCU added the live radio broadcasts of all men’s basketball games through KLZS, allowing Havel to be on the call for NCU’s historic first trip to the NAIA National Championship tournament in March.
His call (
watch here) of the final seconds of NCU’s road playoff win over Northwest University, which clinched the NAIA qualification, was named the Beacon Moment of the Year at NCU’s season ending awards ceremony.
“It is sort of like the cherry on top of the sundae for a historic year of Beacon Basketball,” he said. “Although my name is on the award, there is no way I could do the work without the support of people like Sports Information Director Nick Askew, Assistant Athletic Director Sarah Freeman, and of course, my courtside partner, Athletic Director Corey Anderson.”
Havel will be back behind the mic once again during the 2014-2015 season beginning October 31 when the Beacons host the University of British Columbia to begin the season.