Guthrie native named KSHSAA Sportswriter of the Year

Charles Chaney was awarded the 2022 Oscar Stauffer Award by the Kansas State High School Activities Association and selected as the Sportswriter of the Year.

“I set this as a goal last summer. I wanted to do this in the next five years and to do it in year one is an unbelievable accomplishment,” Chaney said in a social media post.

“A lot of people like what they do for a living, but I truly love my job. I love interacting with the community and the student-athletes. Without either of those, this doesn’t happen. I take a lot of pride in helping tell the stories of all 10 communities in Butler County.”

Chaney, a Guthrie High School graduate, has served as the Butler County Times-Gazette’s sports editor since August 2019 and covers eleven area schools: Andover, Andover Central, Augusta, Berean Academy, Bluestem, Circle, Douglass, El Dorado, Flinthills, Remington and Rose Hill.   
 
Prior to working at the Butler County Times-Gazette, Charles worked as a freelancer for multiple publications, including the Wichita Eagle. In the summer, he helps develop website and social media content for FC Wichita, a semi-professional soccer team in Wichita.   
 
Originally from Guthrie, Charles found his love for sports writing for Guthrie News Page. He covered Guthrie athletics, including the football team’s run to a state championship in 2013. Related article: Guthrie claims fourth state title in a big way

He then moved to Oklahoma City and moved his focus to covering the NBA, where he spent more than 10 seasons covering the league. His work has been seen in the Washington Post, Yahoo Sports and on ESPN.   

Charles has covered sports across the country and after eventually landing in Wichita, he immediately made his footprint on the local sports scene as a sports official. His knowledge of the rulebook allows him to see the game from a different light from his colleagues.   

During his time at the Butler County Times-Gazette, Charles has covered the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) and national championships for the NJCAA. He has been privileged to cover multiple state championship games and more than 150 student-athletes moving on to pursue athletics in college.