ASHLAND — Two Ashland University students made history at a Feb. 8 STUNT competition — and they weren’t t STUNT team members.
Cade Cracas and Ethan Jenkins broadcast the sport on WRDL, the school’s student-run radio station, with the help of station manager Derek Wood. STUNT is an NCAA sport that pits two teams against each other in a head-to-head format to perform skills-based routines.
(Listen to the broadcast below, or by visiting this link: https://soundcloud.com/wrdl-1/ashland-university-stunt-vs-davenport-2-8-25.)
The broadcast made them “unofficially” the first radio station to broadcast STUNT, according to the radio station’s Instagram account.
“WRDL was informed by several governing organizations and officials within the sport of STUNT that there was no record of any previous radio coverage,” Wood said.
For Cracas, that hasn’t sunk in all the way.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet that in actuality, me, Ethan and Derek — we’re written in the history books now as the first (broadcast) station to ever cover the sport,” Cracas said.
Building the broadcast
Cracas, who’s pursuing his master’s degree at Ashland University, said STUNT is a visual sport. It’s been livestreamed before, but putting it on the radio and sharing the match’s highlights through sound proved a new challenge.
Cracas called the match from the sidelines, while Jenkins manned the radio station. THat put Cracas on the air as needed as well as running the broadcast’s halftime show.
It hasn’t really hit me yet that in actuality, me, Ethan and Derek — we’re written in the history books now as the first (broadcast) station to ever cover the sport.
Cade Cracas
To prepare for the broadcast, Cracas sat down with AU’s head STUNT coach to learn about the scoring. He also read old articles about STUNT, and watched old livestreams. Jenkins, an AU journalism major, said things were pretty standard for him in the studio.
“Cade’s experience really carried the broadcast along,” Jenkins said.
Their approach consisted of using the music to their advantage to tell the story. They tried to make listeners feel like they were in the action that way.
Then, when something made the live audience excited, Cracas said he narrated and “tried to build on the hype.”
Cracas said he received positive feedback about the broadcast. He shared it with the president of USA Cheer and AU’s STUNT coach, both of whom were complimentary.
Cracas added the experience speaks to what AU’s journalism and digital media program offers its students.
“WRDL provides students with an award-winning, hands-on learning experience that is designed to prepare and train students for a 21st century media landscape,” Wood said. “This historic broadcast brings national recognition to the radio station.”
Jenkins and Cracas both said they look forward to WRDL broadcasting more sports it hasn’t traditionally put on air in the future. Jenkins said he hopes to broadcast swimming, and noted the station plans to do more broadcasts of STUNT in the future.
“It’s a good glimpse into what college broadcasting should be about,” Jenkins said. “It should be about trying new things while you have the chance to.”
