Sports

Commercial names new Sports Editor

Wednesday, May 2, 2007 11:06 AM CDT

Michael A. Marzelli has been promoted to the position of sports editor of the Pine Bluff Commercial, Editor Larry Fugate announced Tuesday.

Marzelli, 23, succeeds Blake Drehle, who left The Commercial after two years on the sports staff as a writer and an editor to accept a job as a page designer with The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas of Springdale, a sister Stephens Media Group newspaper.

“It gives us great pleasure to announce Mike’s promotion,” Publisher Charles A. Berry said. “We like to promote from within and Mike has proven his ability during his time on our sports staff.”

Fugate said Marzelli will direct the day-to-day operations of The Commercial’s sports staff and its coverage of Southeast Arkansas while also continuing to serve as the beat writer for the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff and Watson Chapel High School.

A native of Middleboro, Mass., Marzelli graduated from the University of Massachusetts in May 2006 with a bachelor of arts degree in communication and a double minor in psychology and online journalism.

Prior to joining The Commercial in March 2006, Marzelli worked as a sports writer at the Hartford Courant in Hartford, Conn., and the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass., and served as a football commentator for the UMass Sports Network.

Fugate said Marzelli has experience covering all aspects of sports from preps to the college level.

“Sports coverage is an important element in the total package we provide our readers,” Fugate added. “Mike has been a major asset to our sports staff and I am confident he will expand the depth of our sports coverage.”

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