ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A story about a broken bleacher board from one of the most famous games in Robert Wesleyan men's basketball history has received national recognition.

The story, written by Athletic Communications Consultant Steve Bradley, chronicles the tale of a 40-by-4½-inch splinter that broke away from the stands as jubilant sophomores Kurt Rutzmoser, Dan Beach, Dick Simoff and Ken Demster jumped up and down during the final moments of Roberts' historic 91-81 win over Buffalo State on Feb. 10, 1967, was named National Story of the Year in the College Division in the Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest sponsored by the College Sports Communicators.

Thinking he and his friends may be in trouble or have to pay restitution, Rutzmoser, who was a sophomore at Roberts at the time, took the board back to his dorm room and used a wood burner to etch the date of the game and final score into the unique keepsake.

Rutzmoser held onto the board after graduation and displayed it in his garage and recreation room. Every few years he would send it to Beach, who did the same. This went on for more than 50 years until both men began to downsize. Rutzmoser reached out to Dr. Paul Mroz, who was manager of the 1966-67 team and Mroz contacted Executive Director of Athletics Bob Segave to see if the university was interested in obtaining the historic piece. Segave enthusiastically accepted the relic and it is now on display in a trophy case in the Voller Athletic Center.

The story, which was published in January, finished first in the Historical Feature category at both the District and National levels.

Bradley, who has worked for Roberts since 2021, had four other stories recognized in the contest, which includes stories published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025.

His piece on Brynn King breaking the all-time NCAA outdoor record in women's pole vault finished first in the Event Coverage category and his year-in-review story on the magical moments of 2025 tied for first in the Season Recap\Preview category. Bradley also had runner-up finishes in the Athlete Profile and General Feature/Blog categories for his stories on former Roberts distance runner Rachel Horner-Richardson and Redhawks public address announcer Jay Trainer.

Nearly 500 articles were submitted in the University (Division I) and College (Division II, Division III, NAIA, two-year institutions, Canadian institutions, and any other unaffiliated organizations) divisions. District 1 includes colleges from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick.

This is the third straight year that Bradley's work has been honored in the prestigious contest. He has earned eight first-place awards at the District Level, four firsts at the National Level and his piece "Building A Pole Vault Paradise" was runner-up for National Story of the Year in 2024-25.