Herald's Radtke earns exclusive IHSA honor
Something that Daily Herald colleagues have known for a long time is now official: John Radtke is one of the all-time greats in Illinois high school sports journalism.
Radtke, the Daily Herald's Fox Valley coordinator and prep sports online manager, has joined an exclusive group with Wednesday's announcement that he will receive the Distinguished Media Service Award from the Illinois High School Association.
The Distinguished Media Service Award is given to sports media members "for their work promoting the values of high school sports and activities, and the service to the schools and communities who benefit from their outstanding work."
Radtke joined the Daily Herald in October 1997 after more than 20 years with various media competitors.
"It's been a privilege to work alongside John," said Aaron Gabriel, the Daily Herald's high school sports editor since 1995. "I'm not sure I've encountered anyone in our business with his blend of reporting chops, writing skill and sheer determination to get the job done right."
Radtke, a Burlington Central High School grad (1975), was nominated for the honor by representatives of Dundee-Crown High School. He joins Fred Kroner of the Champaign News-Gazette and Jim Taylor of downstate radio station WRMJ as this year's honorees - the second such group to be recognized.
Radtke was preceded in the Distinguished Media Service Award by Bob Frisk, who retired from the Daily Herald in 2008 but was a force for more than 50 years in high school sports coverage.
"I am truly humbled that I'm part of just the second class in the history of the award," said Radtke. "Following Bob Frisk with this honor is even more humbling."
Radtke will be presented with his honor on Dec. 6 at a Hampshire boys basketball game at Burlington Central.
"I'm deeply grateful to Dick Storm and the people who nominated me," Radtke said. "I've had a great relationship with all the people at Dundee-Crown over the years, and I appreciate their support."
As the Fox Valley high school coordinator with the Daily Herald, Radtke has steadily added responsibilities in online publishing and the evolving digital applications of journalism. He also has played a role in award-winning staff reports, sharing a Lisagor award in 2012 and winning a Northern Illinois Newspaper Assocation honor in 2010. He earned the Daily Herald's Editorial Award of Excellence in 2010 and was selected to the media wing of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Assocation Hall of Fame.
"John Radtke and Bob Frisk were cut from the same cloth," said Daily Herald Sports Editor Tom Quinlan. "High school sports is in their blood, and their passion for it rubs off on anyone who meets them. Their leadership has been critical to our mission to provide the best preps coverage in our market."
Radtke, who served 10 years on the IHSA's news media advisory committee and is a member of the Burlington Central Hall of Fame, fills his summers as the director of the Northern Illinois Lightning. He says his only regret is that he is didn't get the chance to share these achievements with his father, John Radtke Sr., who passed away 10 years ago.