A new era of Durango Herald sports coverage is already off and running this fall.
The Herald brought in some new blood by welcoming Bryce Kelly, who came from the other side of the country to launch his journalism career, as its next sports editor.
Kelly, 22, is a Marcellus, New York, native and May 2023 graduate of St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York. His first day with the Herald was Sept. 18.
Kelly was drawn to not only starting his career in a pretty area like Southwest Colorado, but also the chance to cover college sports, multiple high school teams and also various outdoor sports like cycling. He was also drawn to the opportunity to showcase his feature writing chops.
“I thought that there’s a great opportunity just with the variety of sports, with the world-class athletes that come out of Durango,” he said. “It seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up on.”
Kelly said he enjoys the storytelling aspect of sports journalism and being a “source of knowledge” for the area, especially when it comes to covering high school sports.
“In Durango … you have to be at the game and (in) just describing the game, asking good questions,” Kelly said.
He also said he appreciates being able to cover Fort Lewis College athletics because they have a good number of international players and players who have interesting stories – whether those stories are discovered within a game or in their past.
His parents also spent some time traveling through the Durango area back in the 1990s, which made him even more familiar with the region prior to landing the job. His father, Paul Kelly, a former sports journalist with the Binghamton (New York) Press & Sun-Bulletin, who also spent more than 20 years with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s communication department, also spent time cycling in California.
“I’ve always had my dad as a resource. … I know I can always ask him questions and throw ideas at him, which I’m really grateful for,” Kelly said.
Kelly said he’s looking forward to continuing producing good work and building relationships.
“Bryce follows in the steps of two talented sports editors in Cody Olivas and John Livingston,” said Senior Editor Trent Stephens. “After Cody decided to step aside and work with the news desk, Bryce was our top choice for the position. He'll bring a fresh perspective to the Herald’s sports coverage.”
