Marion Star's Rob McCurdy named top Division II sports writer in Ohio
Rob McCurdy was named a sports writer of the year for 2025 by the Ohio Preps Sports Media Association.
COLUMBUS — The Marion Star's Rob McCurdy was named 2025 Sports Writer of the Year for Division II by a jury of judges representing the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association. Division I includes the 10 largest newspapers and all websites, while Division II includes all other newspapers with at least two editions per week. It is the fifth year in a row he has won the award and it is his ninth time winning it since returning to the Star in 2016.
Thirteen times in his career he was an OPSMA Sports Writer of the Year, and including the Association Press honors, he's a 15-time state sports writer of the year. For this year's contest, McCurdy was first in game story writing, second in news stories and second in feature writing. Mark Hazelwood of the Norwalk Reflector and Dave Hanneman of the Findlay Courier were second and third overall.
McCurdy is a 1988 graduate of River Valley and a 1992 graduate of Bowling Green State University. He began his journalism career at the Star while in college and just after graduation. He spent the bulk of his career at the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum and Mansfield News Journal before returning home.
Video: Highland's Jett Black wins the 2026 MOAC boys pole vault title First night of the MOACs: RV's Finley Blevins using MOAC meet to springboard her pole vaulting In his career, he's earned more than 160 writing awards with more than 90 from the OPSMA. He is a four-time Best of Gannett winner and has won seven other national writing awards. He lives in Westerville with his wife Karen, daughter Katie and golem retriever Hudson.