INDIANAPOLIS – Well‐known and respected for his professionalism and versatility as a reporter, Ken Fillmore of the Herald Republican in Angola is this year’s recipient of the 2015‐16 IHSAA Distinguished Media Service Award for District 1.

Fillmore becomes the first honoree from Steuben County in the award’s 31 year‐history. His contributions to education-based athletics will be recognized on Saturday evening when Angola hosts Fremont in a Northeast Corner Conference boys basketball showdown. IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox will be on hand to make the presentation.

Fillmore has served as sports editor since 1997 at the Herald Republican, one of several publications owned by KPC Media Group in northeast Indiana. He is a one-man sports department and a jack‐of‐all‐trades as editor, columnist, reporter and photographer as well as being interactive with his readers on social media.

Fillmore’s boss, KPC Media Group associate editor Mike Marturello states, “No matter what the sport, Ken can cover it. If I were to assign Ken to cover curling in Fort Wayne, he would do it at a moment’s notice and would come back with a story that sounds like he has been writing about curling all of his professional life.”

During his career at the daily newspaper, Fillmore has won numerous awards from the Hoosier State Press Association for sports coverage, best sports section and news writing.

Some of his favorite memories include covering Prairie Heights’ wrestling state champion Aaron Ramey in 1999, the
Angola and Fremont girls basketball teams in the 2003 regionals as well as the 2001 semi‐state run by Hamilton’s boys basketball team. He was also privileged to cover Angola’s Carrie Best (2002), David Zimmer (2007) and Alex Nickel (2014) when they each earned mental attitude awards at the state finals in their respective sports. He’s also enjoyed covering area athletes in the state baseball coaches association North/South All‐Star Series.

Fillmore’s nomination was supported by several area school administrators including Angola Director of Athletics Mark Ridenour and Fremont Athletic Director Roger Probst.

“In my 39 years as an educator, coach and administrator, few media professionals compare to the lasting impression
Ken has made with me,” says Ridenour. “Ken not only is a top notch reporter, but more importantly a quality individual who cares about not only getting the story right, but taking a genuine interest in each and every athlete and coach he works with.”

Probst says, “Ken is a true professional and friend to high school athletics. His stories of games include all the specifics that a reader wants to know and he always goes the extra mile. He is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge of the history of sports in our (Steuben) county.”

Fillmore is a 1997 graduate of Central Michigan University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. His first significant experience in newspapers came as an undergraduate at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., for the school’s student newspaper, The Oakland Post. He covered the 1994 NCAA Division II national championship men’s soccer match in Tampa, Fla., where the University of Tampa defeated Oakland 3‐0 in overtime.

Fillmore is a native of Sterling Heights, Mich., in suburban Detroit and a 1993 graduate of Sterling Heights High School where he worked three seasons as a student manager for the boys basketball team.

This is the 31st year the IHSAA has recognized outstanding members of the Indiana news media from each of its three legislative districts for excellence in the coverage of high school sports. District 1 covers 22 counties across northern Indiana. Fillmore is the second of three individuals to be honored this school year joining Sam Harvey of WLPK in Connersville who was recognized last month.