Antonik Receives Prestigious Morehouse Award: A Triumph for West Virginia University Athletics!

John Antonik, the Senior Director of Athletics Content at West Virginia University (WVU), has been honored with the 2025 Morehouse Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. This award recognizes significant contributions to journalism and is named after Gene Morehouse, a respected Marshall University sports information director who tragically died in an airplane crash in the 1970s.

The award has been presented since 1971, and you can find a list of all recipients on the WVSWA website. Antonik will receive this prestigious honor at the 78th annual Victory Awards Dinner scheduled for May 4 at the Bridgeport Convention Center.

Reflecting on the award, Antonik said, “Even though I was just two years old during the Marshall plane crash, I’ve always recognized the importance of the Morehouse name in West Virginia sports journalism. I also admire Keith Morehouse’s work in Huntington. Being associated with the Morehouse legacy is truly humbling, and I am grateful for this honor.”

Antonik hails from New Martinsville and graduated from Magnolia High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in sport management from WVU.

His role at WVU includes overseeing editorial content for the university’s athletics website, WVUsports.com. He also co-hosts the Mountaineer Sports Network’s football pre- and post-game shows, contributing to various live broadcasts, including women’s basketball games.

Antoniuk joined the WVU team in 1991 as a graduate assistant, later serving as associate sports information director from 1991 to 1998. During this time, he played a key role in promoting WVU’s 19 varsity sports, particularly in football and men’s basketball. He won multiple CoSida writing awards, including a top honor for his work on a women’s basketball media guide. He also led community relations efforts during his early years at WVU.

In 1999, he transitioned to Director of Digital Media, focusing on promoting WVU’s sports online. His responsibilities included web content development and site design, showcasing all 17 intercollegiate sports.

Antonik is the author of four books about Mountaineer sports, including:

• West Virginia University Football Vault
• Roll Out the Carpet: 101 Seasons of WVU Basketball
• The Backyard Brawl: The WVU-Pitt Football Rivalry, which was a finalist for the 2012 Foreword Book of the Year
• Saturday Snapshots: West Virginia University Football, published in 2015

In recognition of his contributions, Antonik received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Magnolia High School in 2008 and the Paul B. (Buck) Martin Award from the WVU Alumni Association in 2010 for preserving WVU’s traditions.

He is a former member of CoSida, the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Antonik lives in Morgantown with his wife Melinda, and they have two children: Sydney and Jack.