(August 12, 2013) A pair of recent college graduates and STAA clients is going to work calling small college football and basketball in Pennsylvania. Dan Hilton has been hired as play-by-play voice at Misericordia University. Zach Barlage will broadcast for Wilkes University.
Both schools are in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area and both broadcasters will be employed by ESPN 1050/104.1 in Williamsport. The station has hired STAA clients in the past so when the current positions opened, General Manager Todd Bartley again asked STAA for assistance.
“This seemed to be the perfect-storm of an opportunity, says Hilton, a recent graduate of Hofstra University in New York and a resident of Bangor, PA. “Being able to live at home and get the chance to do play-by-play for football and basketball right out of college is absolutely fantastic.”
“I found the opportunity through the STAA job alerts and received an interview,” Hilton explains.” After speaking with Todd Bartley on the phone and meeting with him in person, I was given the position. Experience is the name of the game, and I was very lucky to call Division I athletics for three years with WRHU at Hofstra.”
A 2013 graduate of Widener University in Pennsylvania, Barlage is going to work in a conference he knows well from college. Widener plays in the same conference as Wilkes University. In fact, the two schools are rivals. Barlage believes that familiarity helped his candidacy. “Todd [Bartley] saw my résumé and my play by play reel on my STAA Talent Page when I applied and recognized some of my work, which I believe got me the chance to interview in person.
“This is a great opportunity to really fine tune my style and delivery as a play-by-play broadcaster while calling competitive collegiate football and basketball games regularly for a well respected ESPN radio affiliate,” says Barlage.
Hilton adds, “It’s a blessing to get to do what you love, and I’m doing it sooner than I ever imagined.”