For Utah Tech University sports lovers, there is a new way of keeping up with your favorite Trailblazer teams.
Sun News Daily will be airing a new sports show called Sun News: Blazer Beat. This show is home to sports stories, highlights, takeaways and recaps of all the athletic programs on campus. From Division 1 sports to clubs like pickleball, Blazer Beat will cover it.
Expect weekly shows to occur every Thursday at noon. The show will be broadcast on campus in the Jennings Communication Building. The first show is out now and available to watch on Sun News Daily’s YouTube channel.
Blazer Beat anchors include a new face to the Sun News staff, Troy Grimmond, a sophomore communication studies major from Newport Beach, California, and one familiar face, Zoe Hansen, a junior media studies major from Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Grimmond said he grew up playing baseball as a first baseman and pitcher and would always watch sports anytime he could. His love and passion for sports is one of the reasons he decided to become a sports anchor.
“I’ve always been an outgoing kind of guy,” Grimmond said. “I’ve never been really afraid of talking to people…this is definitely something new that I’ve stepped into, and hopefully I’m going to enjoy it.”
Blazer Beat brings a lot to the world of sports broadcasting from the blend of in-depth analyses, exclusive interviews with players and coaches, and notable segments that will capture the audience’s attention. Blazer Beat will have something to offer to everybody, even those who aren’t the biggest sports fans.
The staff at Sun News is constantly working hard on stories and ideas that will contribute to the success of the show. Hansen said she got an idea for a segment she thinks will be an entertaining part of the show that all viewers can enjoy.
“Every month we’ll pick out plays kind of like ESPN does,” Hansen said. “We’ll do a Top 10 of the month or Top Five of the month. We’re still figuring it out, but I think that’s something that our viewers can look forward to.”
Not everything can be credited to Grimmond and Hansen. It takes a team to run a broadcast, and one of the most important roles is the producer.
That role belongs to Madisyn Dwiggins, a senior media studies major from Las Vegas, who has been on the Sun News staff for five semesters. She has been the producer for the past three semesters after fulfilling the role of news editor for the other two semesters.
Dwiggins said her role as a producer comes with a lot of responsibilities that start before the cameras are rolling. From looking over the script, making sure it is ready to air, and writing the intros and outros for packages, she does it all.
During the broadcast, Dwiggins monitors the show and uses a one-way communication system that allows her to speak to the anchors. She can then give a heads-up on anything the anchors might need to adjust while they are rolling.
“We’ve never had this problem before, but Zoe and Troy chit-chat and talk a lot, like I swear they can chit-chat for 10 minutes straight,” Dwiggins said. “So, I feel like I’m going to have to tell them to wrap it up a little bit. We don’t want it all to be a conversation.”
Dwiggins said she wants to get the word out about the show and make sure people understand that Blazer Beat is unaffiliated with Utah Tech athletics. The show will convey a different angle of sports content at the university.
“I definitely want to get it out there more, like make it more known,” Dwiggins said. “I don’t think a lot of people know about Sun News, especially about the sports show since it’s brand new. But, I think some goals I have are to keep it neutral but still be able to throw our little opinions in there about the games and stuff.”
