Mark Holtz Memorial Sports Broadcast Journalism Scholarship winner announced
 Mark Followill, scholarship recipient Steven Zawilinski, Matt Pinto and Bob Ortegel . Glenn James/NBAE/Getty Images |
Zawilinski has received numerous local and national broadcast journalism awards during his four years at Allen High School, including the 2003 National Superior Award in Video Sports Story, Allen High School Communication Department Media Student of the Year and the 2001 and 2002 CNN Best of Show Award for Producer/Editor/Director.
“Mark Holtz was a quality person, a true professional and extremely dedicated to his job,” said Bob Ortegel, television analyst for the Dallas Mavericks. “As a result, the recipient of this award should be honored.”
Each year, the Dallas Mavericks offer the $2,000 Mark Holtz Memorial Sports Broadcast Journalism scholarship opportunity to students interested in pursuing a career in sports broadcast journalism.
ABOUT MARK HOLTZ
Mark Holtz was born on October 1, 1945 in Elmhurst, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He graduated from Warburg College in Waverly, Iowa, with a BA in speech in 1967. Mr. Holtz came to Texas in 1980 as sports director of WBAP and the first radio play-by-play announcer for the expansion Dallas Mavericks. He became the Texas Rangers announcer after broadcasting Mavericks games for the 1980-81 season.
Mr. Holtz was diagnosed with myelodysplasia, an illness of the bone marrow caused by genetic blood forming cells in 1994, and doctors monitored his next three years. The disease turned into leukemia, and he underwent a bone marrow transplant on June 18, 1997. He broadcast his final game for the Texas Rangers on May 22, 1997, and passed away on September 7, 1997.
