WTNH SPORTS TEAM RECEIVES DAVE SOLOMON MEDIA AWARD @ THE CONNECTICUT OPEN FROM THE CAMPUS @ YALE IN NEW HAVEN

Written by: Staff on 19th August 2014

Sony Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Florida

WTNH SPORTS TEAM RECEIVES DAVE SOLOMON MEDIA AWARD @ THE CONNECTICUT OPEN FROM THE CAMPUS @ YALE IN NEW HAVEN

epa03638439 Ivan Dodig of Croatia casts a shadow as he serves the ball to John Isner of the US during their second round match at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 23 March 2013. The tournament runs through 31 March. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER |

Editors Note : we applaud the event for honoring a great man. Tributes are never given enough for the special people. Bravo to United Technologies and the state of Connecticut .

This Award Annually Recognizes Journalists Supporting The Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies

The Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies, a WTA event that is part of the Emirates Airline US Open Series being held August 15-23 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale, has granted the Dave Solomon Media Award to WTNH Sports Team members Noah Finz, John Pierson, and Erik Dobratz.

The annual Award was created to memorialize New Haven Register columnist Dave Solomon, who lost his life three years ago in a car accident. The award was designed to recognize the qualities that defined him as a journalist, exceptional talent and integrity, and the fact that he was vital in covering, promoting and supporting the Connecticut Open over the years.

“We miss Dave Solomon regularly,” said Finz. “He was an institution in Connecticut, and in the greater sports reporter community. I have the utmost respect for his work, and even greater respect for him as a person.”

“I remember Dave for his insight, but also his laughter,” said Pierson. “He was always a person you watched to see what he was covering, and I learned a lot by just being around him at sporting events. We miss him dearly.”

“He was the bar for me as far as sports reporters in Connecticut,” said Dobratz. “He was tireless in his pursuit of a story, but was also one of the most gregarious and kind people I have met. Not an event or sports season goes by where we don’t think of Dave.”

Finz started in television as the Sports Director of the ABC station in Santa Barbara, and while there won an Emmy award, seven Associated Press awards and five Golden Mike awards. After a brief stint at the CBS affiliate in Austin, Texas, he came home to Connecticut to work at News 8. The lead sports anchor, he has covered the tournament for 15 plus years. His teammate John Pierson first came to News 8 in 1995 as Sports Producer and started covering the Connecticut Open that year. He gradually transitioned into his current Sports Anchor role, and has earned several New England Emmy Nominations for his work. Erik Dobratz joined News 8 back in 1998 and began to produce sports in 2002 starting with the Connecticut Open. He has produced Emmy-nominated programs such as Huskies All Access, and recently joined the on-air team, and can be seen during News 8’s 6pm and 11pm newscasts.

The Dave Solomon Media Award was presented to the WTNH Sports Team this evening in a special on-court ceremony between the first and second evening session matches.

About Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies

Connecticut Open presented by United Technologies is now owned by the State of Connecticut and is newly minted as a not-for-profit 501c3 charitable organization. However, the event has always existed to give back to the community, and has always been much more than just a tennis tournament; it is a leading example of leveraging a large-scale international sporting event to generate $26 million in regional economic impact and to build community pride, spirit and engagement, especially among youth. The women’s-only WTA event will be held August 15-23, 2014 at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale, and feature six different competitions including WTA qualifying, WTA singles, WTA doubles, Men’s Legends, US Open National Playoffs Championship, and the Maureen Connelly Cup. The Connecticut Open is prominently featured domestically on ESPN2 and also broadcast around the world. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.ctopen.org or call 1-855-464-8366.

About United Technologies

United Technologies, based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. For more information, visit our website at www.utc.com or follow us on Twitter: @UTC.

About US Open Series

Now in its 11th season, US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking eight summer tournaments to the US Open. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams won the 2013 US Open and Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles, each earning a record tennis paycheck of $3.6 million. In 2007, Roger Federer collected $2.4 million for winning the US Open and the US Open Series. In 2005, Kim Clijsters also captured both the US Open and the Series, winning $2.2 million and equaled that amount in 2010, winning the US Open and finishing the US Open Series in second place.

Topics: Connecticut Open, New Haven, Solomon Media Award, Tennis, Wta, WTNH, Yale

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August 19, 2014 at 8:45 pm

WTNH #SPORTS TEAM RECEIVES DAVE SOLOMON MEDIA AWARD @ THE @connecticutopen FROM THE CAMPUS @ YALE IN NEW HAVEN- http://t.co/Gni6WOe07v