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McDonald receives the 2024 USTA Northern Bob Larson Media Excellence Award
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) gathered for the 2024 Awards & Hall of Fame Gala at Bavaria Downs in Chaska, MN, last weekend to honor and award several recipients, one being TR’s own, Paul McDonald.
McDonald, Times-Record sports/ news lead reporter, was the recipient of the USTA Northern Bob Larson Media Excellence Award.
The United State Tennis Association (USTA) Northern is one of 17 sections nationally of the USTA. According to the USTA website, “Our mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and northwestern Wisconsin. Our core programs are USTA Leagues, Junior Team Tennis and Junior and Adult Tournaments. USTA Northern also supports initiatives including Community Tennis, Tennis Infrastructure, National Junior Tennis & Learning, Beginning Youth and Adult Tennis, Collegiate Tennis, Innovative Tournaments, Special Events, Adaptive Tennis and High School play.
Our primary focus is teaching, mentoring and coaching individuals and organizations that grow tennis. To help in reaching diverse participants, we partner with organizations whose focus and mission meets these demographics.”
The Bob Larson Media Excellence Award, named after longtime Tennis Midwest and Daily Tennis Editor Bob Larson from Edina, Minnesota, recognizes a person or organization that has provided exemplary tennis coverage for the local community.
During his speech, at the event, McDonald shared, “I want to thank the USTA Northern for this incredible award. For those here with me tonight, family, friends and people that know me, know that I’m never at a loss for words, but tonight I’m humbled by this honor.
I would say, I’m just doing my job, but when you have friends like Erik and Susan Kringlie that are extremely passionate about something, like they are for tennis and more specifically youth tennis in Valley City, it makes me want to do more to spread the word about how great this sport is and what is does for the youth of Valley City. Those people are the reason why I love my job, the kids, the athletes that are out there putting their heart into something they love to do.
I have been in the media, in some way shape or form for nearly 38 years and I have never won any kind of award until this year. But that is just fine with me, because that is not the reason why I do what I do. I do it because I like to tell stories and I hope there are a lot more tennis stories to tell in Valley City in the future.”
McDonald joined the Times-Record staff in January of 2023 but he has been covering sports in Valley City since 2017. “This is a labor of love,” McDonald said. “I love sports, I love writing, but more specifically, I love writing about the great athletes of all ages and abilities in Valley City and giving them the props they deserve.”
Times-Record publisher, Tina Olson shares, “Congratulations Paul, from all of us at the TR. Your work continues to be noticed, and appreciated, throughout Barnes County and within our steadily growing Times-Record readership. Thank you for all that you do, we are blessed to have you aboard our team!”
McDonald was presented with a smaller version of the actual trophy, to take home for his wall of fame. The actual trophy, housed in USTA Egan, MN, headquarters, will have McDonald’s name added with the other past honored recipients.