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Sunny Radio to broadcast Lynx football, basketball
By By Jill Meier
Challenger editor
Challenger editor
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EmailSeptember 03. 2010 6:00AM
When the Brandon Valley Lynx football team headed to Sturgis last Saturday for their first game of the season, at least one Lynx fan made the long haul with them.
Arin Winger, lead sportscaster for Sunny Radio, Brandon’s first ever radio station, was there calling the play by play. The game report could be heard on Sunny Radio’s AM station at 1520, and its web site, MySunnyRadio.com. And beginning this week, games can also be heard on the station’s FM frequency, 92.1.
Winger, 32, who lives in Mitchell, said he’s excited to be the voice of the Lynx. “People around here (Mitchell) know me as a sports guy. But everybody knows me as the sidekick.”
For nine years, Winger has served as the sidekick to radio sports personalities Tim Smith of KMIT and Steve Morgan of KORN.
“Basically, I was the John Madden to Pat Summerall,” he said.
Now, it’s Winger’s turn to take the lead.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” he said. “And it’s not only a first for Brandon Valley, but it’s a first for me, and I hope it’s going to be a long-term endeavor.”
When John and Heidi Small launched Sunny Radio in May, they knew it was important to hire some to report the local news and sports.
“This is something that we pledged from the very beginning. In fact the first person hired was a news and sports guy, that’s how important we feel it is,” Small said. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to call a ball game, but I do know that it’s important to have it and people want it.”
Winger, who considers himself a sports buff, brings a wealth of radio sportscasting and knowledge to the job. He’s worked in this capacity at two Mitchell radio stations and has announced Sioux Falls Stampede hockey.
“Basically, the reason I’m even is South Dakota is because of a baseball scholarship to (Dakota) Wesleyan,” he said. He’s also served a youth coach for hockey, baseball and basketball.
“Anything to keep active,” says the father of two daughters.
“The good thing about radio is that I never have to go to practice, I’m never wrong, and parents are rarely mad at me,” he said.
Small said Winger will broadcast all home and away football and boy’s basketball games this season. He said the station may also broadcast some Lady Lynx basketball games. “We’d like to do as many games as our schedule will dictate,” Small said.
Randy Marso, the athletic director at Brandon Valley, said Sunny Radio’s pledge to broadcast Lynx football and boy’s basketball games is a win-win not only the athletes, but the community as a whole.
“Our athletes, and certainly our coaches, will now have somebody giving something from our perspective,” Marso said. “We’ll get the favorable calls and commentary.”
Until now, Brandon Valley was the only school in the Eastern South Dakota Conference that lacked a local radio station. In the past, when the high school audiovisual department video streamed games, they were connected to the visiting team’s radio station.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Small said. “I think this is exactly what a local radio station should be doing.”
Arin Winger, lead sportscaster for Sunny Radio, Brandon’s first ever radio station, was there calling the play by play. The game report could be heard on Sunny Radio’s AM station at 1520, and its web site, MySunnyRadio.com. And beginning this week, games can also be heard on the station’s FM frequency, 92.1.
Winger, 32, who lives in Mitchell, said he’s excited to be the voice of the Lynx. “People around here (Mitchell) know me as a sports guy. But everybody knows me as the sidekick.”
For nine years, Winger has served as the sidekick to radio sports personalities Tim Smith of KMIT and Steve Morgan of KORN.
“Basically, I was the John Madden to Pat Summerall,” he said.
Now, it’s Winger’s turn to take the lead.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” he said. “And it’s not only a first for Brandon Valley, but it’s a first for me, and I hope it’s going to be a long-term endeavor.”
When John and Heidi Small launched Sunny Radio in May, they knew it was important to hire some to report the local news and sports.
“This is something that we pledged from the very beginning. In fact the first person hired was a news and sports guy, that’s how important we feel it is,” Small said. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to call a ball game, but I do know that it’s important to have it and people want it.”
Winger, who considers himself a sports buff, brings a wealth of radio sportscasting and knowledge to the job. He’s worked in this capacity at two Mitchell radio stations and has announced Sioux Falls Stampede hockey.
“Basically, the reason I’m even is South Dakota is because of a baseball scholarship to (Dakota) Wesleyan,” he said. He’s also served a youth coach for hockey, baseball and basketball.
“Anything to keep active,” says the father of two daughters.
“The good thing about radio is that I never have to go to practice, I’m never wrong, and parents are rarely mad at me,” he said.
Small said Winger will broadcast all home and away football and boy’s basketball games this season. He said the station may also broadcast some Lady Lynx basketball games. “We’d like to do as many games as our schedule will dictate,” Small said.
Randy Marso, the athletic director at Brandon Valley, said Sunny Radio’s pledge to broadcast Lynx football and boy’s basketball games is a win-win not only the athletes, but the community as a whole.
“Our athletes, and certainly our coaches, will now have somebody giving something from our perspective,” Marso said. “We’ll get the favorable calls and commentary.”
Until now, Brandon Valley was the only school in the Eastern South Dakota Conference that lacked a local radio station. In the past, when the high school audiovisual department video streamed games, they were connected to the visiting team’s radio station.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Small said. “I think this is exactly what a local radio station should be doing.”
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Arin Winger will be the voice of the Lynx on Sunny Radio. The Mitchell resident will broadcast the play by play of all Brandon Valley home and away football and boy's basketball games on Sunny Radio 92.1 FM, 1520 AM and their web site, MySunnyRadio.com. Submitted photo |  |
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