University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

       For more than three decades, Mike Mastovich has been a staunch supporter of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Pitt-Johnstown athletics through his writing with The Tribune-Democrat and his assistance in promoting University activities, including serving as emcee for the athletics hall of fame banquet since its inception in 2007.
      A Johnstown native, Mr. Mastovich graduated from Conemaugh Valley High School in 1981 and enrolled at Pitt-Johnstown where he was a sports writer, then the Sports Editor for The Advocate from 1982-85.  During that same time, Mr. Mastovich performed the duties of Pitt-Johnstown Student Sports Information Director, working with future Pitt-Johnstown Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Athletic Director Ed Sherlock, wrestling coach and future AD Pat Pecora, women’s basketball coach Jodi Gault, men’s basketball coach Clyde Horner and baseball coach Ken Keiper.
      Mr. Mastovich, a member of the Chi Lambda Tau Honorary Leadership Society and a recipient of the Humanities Award at Pitt-Johnstown, graduated Cum Laude in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and a minor in Speech Communications.
      That same year, Mr. Mastovich began his professional career writing for the Indiana Gazette while pursuing his Master’s Degree in Sports Sciences with an emphasis in Sports Information at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
      With another year of experience under his belt, Mr. Mastovich returned to his hometown and joined The Tribune-Democrat in November of 1986 as a sports writer.  For the last 35 years, Mr. Mastovich has promoted and covered Pitt-Johnstown athletics.
      Over the years, Mr. Mastovich has covered and been closely involved with many of Pitt-Johnstown’s athletic highlights, including Carlton Haselrig becoming the first national champion in wrestling, Coach Jodi Gault’s women’s basketball team reaching the NCAA Final Four in 1987, the resurgence of the Bob Rukavina’s men’s basketball program and its four NCAA Tournament berths, and the record-breaking efforts of the baseball and women’s volleyball teams.
      In addition to Pitt-Johnstown, Mr. Mastovich was the beat writer for the Johnstown Chiefs professional hockey team for 19 seasons and is currently wrapping up his 10th season of covering the Johnstown Tomahawks.  He has covered more than 30 AAABA Tournaments, 20-plus Sunnehanna Amateurs Golf Tournaments, and some of the biggest high school sporting events, including state championship games in football, basketball, baseball, volleyball and hockey.
      Mr. Mastovich was the lead writer on teams that produced the 2007 book “Slap Shots and Snapshots: 50 Seasons of Professional Hockey in Johnstown,” the 2015 update of the book to coincide with Johnstown being named Kraft Hockeyville USA, and the 2019 book “A Diamond in Johnstown: AAABA’s 75^th Anniversary.”  He was also a contributor to The Tribune-Democrat’s Fab 40 Sports Connections book.
      The highly-decorated writer has earned five Keystone Press Awards (2011, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021), three Golden Quill Awards (2006, 2008, 2011), and was a Golden Quill Award Finalist in both 2012 and 2018.  In 2005, Mr. Mastovich earned the East Coast Hockey League’s (ECHL) Outstanding Media of the Year Award, voted on by the writers and media in the 30-team league.
              The Tribune-Democrat’s parent company CNHI, LLC, which operates 90 newspapers in 22 states, named Mastovich Sports Writer of the Year in March 2021.
      Along with serving on Pitt-Johnstown’s Athletics Hall of Fame Committee and being the hall of fame banquet emcee, Mr. Mastovich is also on the Cambria County Sports Hall of Fame and Point Stadium Award committees.
      Mr. Mastovich and his wife Teresa have three adult children, Shelby, Michael (Pitt-Johnstown class of 2017), and Ryan.
      “Pitt-Johnstown and the people here have always been like a part of my family since I first stepped onto the campus in 1981,” Mr. Mastovich said.  “It is a special place.  The athletic program was such a big part of my college life during my time with The Advocate and as Sports Information Director.  I know the lengthy and rich history made by the Pitt-Johnstown student-athletes, coaches and administrators. The Tribune-Democrat has been there to cover Pitt-Johnstown since the days of the asphalt campus in Moxham. It's been an honor to be a part of such a great team at the newspaper.  To join the distinguished group of current and past inductees in this Hall is a humbling experience, not to mention a great honor.”