Communiqué
“Gridiron Glory” prepares for a 25th season celebration with the announcement of host and supervising producer
< < Back toATHENS, OH – Gridiron Glory (GG) returns to WOUB for its 25th season this August with the third female host in the show’s history. Hailey Hollinger, a rising senior journalism news and information major, has been selected to lead the GG on-air team during the 2024 high school football season.
“I feel incredibly honored and blessed to have been chosen as the GG 25 host,” said Hollinger. “I wouldn’t be here without the continued support and growth fostered by my peers, the professionals, God, and my family. After being a part of the program for three seasons, I still feel the wide-eyed feeling I felt as a freshman.”
Gridiron Glory is an award winning, weekly 30-minute sports show that includes highlights and stories of high school football games from Southeastern Ohio. The program began in 1999 and is broadcast and streamed every Friday night at 11:30 p.m. with repeats on Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. during the high school football season.
“This production is truly unique and the opportunities I’ve had to work with these communities have been unforgettable,” said Hollinger. “I am so excited to continue to do so on a larger scale, as well as to celebrate with everyone the 25 seasons Gridiron has worked with and for the communities we cover. They’re what makes all of this so special.”
“Women in sports deserve to have opportunities to succeed, and WOUB has provided those opportunities for me. I feel blessed to be a part of a time where women in sports are rising in this industry,” said Hollinger. “Sometimes there is gender discrimination in workplaces involving sports, but the men at WOUB have always been supportive in my years here. Honestly, part of what’s made this experience great is that no one has treated me any differently for being a woman in sports. I’ve had the same opportunities and the same chances to grow and get better. That’s exactly how it should be, but it’s not like that everywhere. The fact that I, as a woman get to host a predominantly male-hosted show is amazing, and I hope it is an encouragement to any girl who is hesitant about doing something because it is stereotypically for men.”
Season 1 of GG in 1999 was hosted by Kristy (Kralj) Regula. Season 19 in 2016 was hosted by Dani Dean.
“My experience on Gridiron Glory is something I look back on, and it immediately makes me smile. It’s something I can share with my 12-year-old daughter and say, ‘Look mom did that.’ I am so excited that another female gets that same opportunity. Hopefully other young girls will see her, and it will inspire them to take on any challenge they might have,” said Regula. “Women serve such important roles in newsrooms all across the country, and it is great to see another female taking over as host for Season 25.”
Regula knows this experience will help Hollinger succeed in her career, just as it did for her. She is now the assistant news director at WKBN/WYTV in Youngstown, Ohio.
“As a Gridiron Glory host, you learn so many things: how to prepare, how to think fast on your feet, how to ad-lib, how to work with a team,” said Regula. “The lessons learned are something you can take with you into any field, and any job.”
This past fall, Hollinger led the return of Ace Nation, WOUB’s digital coverage of five high school girls’ volleyball teams in Athens County.
“Ace did provide deeper insight into how important high school sports coverage is in this area. High school volleyball in this area previously did not have any video coverage, or the extent of coverage Ace provided,” said Hollinger. “The young women playing are more than deserving of coverage, and I am so glad we got to provide it. The feedback from players, coaches and parents was incredible, and I hope that Ace will continue to provide coverage for a long time.”
Parker Kopronica, a rising junior journalism news and information major, has been selected as GG’s supervising producer for season 25.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to be the supervising producer for GG 25,” said Kopronica. “Beyond our goal of providing high-level coverage for high school football in southeast Ohio, we are honored to have the chance to pay homage to the rich history of football in the area and past seasons of Gridiron Glory.”
“It is great to see the idea that we had 25 years ago still going strong, growing, and only getting better with each year. Every season the students take Gridiron Glory to a whole new level,” said Regula. “To know I served such an important role in the first season, and to see where Gridiron Glory is now, 25 years later, it is truly amazing to see.”
Viewers can find Gridiron Glory on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. They will also be able to find each week’s program on WOUB’s YouTube channel.