An NIU senior made $1,500 for spending the day with the football coach.

Joe Bush’s written account of a day with NIU coach Jerry Pettibone was the top finisher in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation journalism awards program. The story appeared in the Feb. 16 issue of The Northern Star.

“It’s nice to have stuff that you like to do recognized,” Bush said.

Bush will get a $1,500 check and qualifies for the National Writing Championship. The championship is May 19 through May 22 in San Francisco.

“It was real easy for me to have a smile on my face,” he said. “It makes me even happier that I switched from news to sports.”

Bush got his start at the Star covering the Board of Regents last semester. But, a sports writer at heart, Bush started writing sports in 1987 and currently writes for the Aurora Beacon-News and the Star.

The article was about high school football recruiting day.

Some credit should go to Star Sports Editor Bob Regan for his “hands-off policy on this story,” Bush said.

“I think Joe can become as good a sports writer as anyone on the (Chicago) Trib,” Regan said. Bush will replace Regan as sports editor in August.

Journalism Department Chairman Donald Brod said, “I’m delighted about the whole thing. I’m real proud of Joe Bush.”