Baker University alumni Jim Joyner was recently honored by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association with its yearly media award. Joyner was recognized for his work with Mid Kansas Radio as its sports and news director.

The award is “pretty much sportscaster of the year,” said Joyner. High school basketball coaches who are members of the association vote and the award is presented at an event where high school players and coaches are also recognized.

While at Baker, Joyner served as the sports editor for The Baker Orange and bakerradio.org, formerly known as KNBU-FM. He was also a member of the KNBU television staff. Now as the sports and news director at Mid Kansas Radio, he is broadcasting all things sports at McPherson High School in McPherson.

McPherson is a town of 13,000 people located in central Kansas. Joyner says it has been a blast working in the small town and becoming a part of the community.

“McPherson is a town where people still listen to the radio,” Joyner said.

Joyner is “on the radio all day with play by play.” Along with being the voice of the McPherson High School Bullpups, Joyner hosts his own show with radio partner Steve Sell called “According to Jim.”

According to the Mid Kansas Radio website, Joyner’s show is“Monday-Friday from 12:30-1 p.m. for McPherson sports talk. The Bullpups, the Royals, the Chiefs, local college sports and everything else that’s happening in the sports world.”

Sell says he really enjoys working with Joyner and he is “easily the most prepared announcer [he’s] ever worked with,” making sure to do extensive research before every sportscast.

Joyner’s KBCA award “means a lot of prestige to the station” Sell said. The award often honors a first-year announcer. Sell also says that Joyner has grown the credibility of the station, due to his success with “According to Jim”, his other role as news director and working as the severe weather coordinator.

When he is out and about, Joyner said community members will tell him “won’t be long before you’re gone.” Sell says, “I can’t go anywhere without someone stopping me and saying how much they enjoy the show,” but currently Joyner has no plans to leave the small Midwestern unique town.