Middletown Couple to Receive Award at 78th Gold Key Dinner

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A couple from Middletown and four other individuals have been named recipients of the John Wentworth Good Sport Award by the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance.

John and Judy Clark operate WCNX radio, a low-power AM oldies music station that broadcasts both on the air and online, who found their niche in fall 2007 when they started broadcasting high school football games. Soon, they were broadcasting high school basketball games, and high school sports found a home at www.wcnxradio.com. Their sports broadcasts not only enable fans to hear games which otherwise would be unavailable, but also provide exposure for student-athletes and volunteer broadcasters. The Clarks' station is part of a Department of Defense rotation of small-market radio stations broadcast via Armed Forces Radio, reaching servicemen and women across the country and the world.

The award is named in honor of John Wentworth, former sports editor of The New Britain Herald who specialized in writing about local sports figures, and is presented to those who have unselfishly devoted their time and energy to the promotion of athletics in their communities. Chris Bishop of Wallingford, Michael Cotnoir of Enfield, John Larkins of Shelton and Dave Putnam of East Lyme are the other 2019 honorees.

They will be honored at the prestigious 78th Gold Key Dinner on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Gold Key Award recipients for 2019 are former college and pro basketball standouts John Bagley and Chris Smith, longtime NFL coach and Super Bowl champion Chris Palmer, St. Thomas More basketball coach Jere Quinn and ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen.

The Gold Key Dinner was inaugurated in 1940, with baseball legend Connie Mack and golf superstar Bobby Jones among the initial recipients. The roster of honorees since then reads like a Who’s Who of Connecticut sports – Joe Cronin, Julius Boros, Willie Pep, Andy Robustelli, Lindy Remigino, Floyd Little, Joan Joyce, Carmen Cozza, Otto Graham, Calvin Murphy, Joe Morrone, Gordie Howe, Bill Rodgers, Tony DiCicco, Geno Auriemma, Rebecca Lobo, Brian Leetch, Kristine Lilly, Marlon Starling and Dwight Freeney are just a few of the past Gold Key winners. A complete list is available at www.ctsportswriters.com.

Tickets to the Gold Key Dinner are $75 apiece, and may be reserved by contacting CSWA President Tim Jensen of Patch Media Corp. at tim.jensen@patch.com or 860-394-5091.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Bo Kolinsky Journalism Scholarship, named after a longtime Hartford Courant sportswriter and past CSWA president who died unexpectedly in 2003.

Photo courtesy of CSWA

To sign up for Middletown breaking news alerts and more, click here.