Five to receive 'Sweet' awards at 2017 IBCA Clinic
Several with strong ties to Indiana basketball to be honored for contributions on April 21
Five people with significant ties to Indiana high school basketball will be recognized with Virgil Sweet Awards at the 2017 Indiana Basketball Coaches Association annual clinic later this month.
Virgil Sweet Awards are presented to those who have provided meritorious service in the promotion of basketball across Indiana. The award is named in honor of Sweet, the former Valparaiso High School basketball coach and former executive director of the IBCA.
This year's recipients are IHSAA assistant commissioner Phil Gardner, retiring Bethel College men's coach Mike Lightfoot, former Marian University coach John Grimes, former Taylor University coach Paul Patterson and Bedford Times-Mail columnist Bob Bridge.
Each will be honored during a program on April 21 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Gardner and Lightfoot are winners from District 1. Grimes and Patterson are recipients from District 2. Bridge is the honoree from District 3.
Here is more information about each honoree.
Bob Bridge
Bob Bridge worked for nearly 30 years as sports editor for the Bedford Times-Mail, including coverage of Damon Bailey and the Bedford North Lawrence boys’ basketball team and Pete Pritchett's BNL Lady Stars. He has been with the newspaper in total for 38 years.
Bridge also served as a columnist for Inside Indiana during the 1990s. He covered Indiana University men’s basketball trips to the Final Four in 1992 and 2002 and continues to cover IU basketball and football.
He is a graduate of Evansville North High School, where he played baseball and football and sang in the concert choir. He also is an Indiana University graduate.
Bridge was a 2005 inductee into the Indiana Sportswriters & Sportscasters Hall of Fame and is scheduled for induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as a Silver Medal winner on April 29, 2017.
He previously has received awards from the ISSA, Associated Press, United Press International, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Hoosier State Press Association for his sports writing, editorials, features and general interest columns.
The Bedford Chamber of Commerce named Bridge the winner of its Community Service Award in 2006.
Several with strong ties to Indiana basketball to be honored for contributions on April 21
Five people with significant ties to Indiana high school basketball will be recognized with Virgil Sweet Awards at the 2017 Indiana Basketball Coaches Association annual clinic later this month.
Virgil Sweet Awards are presented to those who have provided meritorious service in the promotion of basketball across Indiana. The award is named in honor of Sweet, the former Valparaiso High School basketball coach and former executive director of the IBCA.
This year's recipients are IHSAA assistant commissioner Phil Gardner, retiring Bethel College men's coach Mike Lightfoot, former Marian University coach John Grimes, former Taylor University coach Paul Patterson and Bedford Times-Mail columnist Bob Bridge.
Each will be honored during a program on April 21 at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. Gardner and Lightfoot are winners from District 1. Grimes and Patterson are recipients from District 2. Bridge is the honoree from District 3.
Here is more information about each honoree.
Bob Bridge
Bob Bridge worked for nearly 30 years as sports editor for the Bedford Times-Mail, including coverage of Damon Bailey and the Bedford North Lawrence boys’ basketball team and Pete Pritchett's BNL Lady Stars. He has been with the newspaper in total for 38 years.
Bridge also served as a columnist for Inside Indiana during the 1990s. He covered Indiana University men’s basketball trips to the Final Four in 1992 and 2002 and continues to cover IU basketball and football.
He is a graduate of Evansville North High School, where he played baseball and football and sang in the concert choir. He also is an Indiana University graduate.
Bridge was a 2005 inductee into the Indiana Sportswriters & Sportscasters Hall of Fame and is scheduled for induction into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as a Silver Medal winner on April 29, 2017.
He previously has received awards from the ISSA, Associated Press, United Press International, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Hoosier State Press Association for his sports writing, editorials, features and general interest columns.
The Bedford Chamber of Commerce named Bridge the winner of its Community Service Award in 2006.
