Dave Koehn’s face might not be recognizable to most, but his voice is better known after a nine-year career in radio sports broadcasting.

The 1995 graduate of Cheyenne Mountain High School recently was named the “Voice of the Cavaliers” at the University of Virginia after beating out 120 candidates.

“Jobs in the ACC are so crazy and they don’t come around very often,” he said. “I think the average span is about 18 years.”

Doing play-by-play for the football and basketball teams at Virginia is just the next step in an already flourishing career, but for now, Charlottesville is the perfect place for Koehn and his wife, Ashley.

“It’s been surreal because you work for so long to get to a point where you feel like you can stay for a while,” he said.

Koehn had a glimpse at his future employer in November when he traveled to a basketball game between the Cavaliers and Vermont, where he was doing radio broadcasts.

“I remember sitting here last season thinking, ‘They have one of the best basketball facilities in the nation, really,’ and sure enough, here I am,” he said.

Koehn said he enjoys traveling with the team and getting to know players and coaches on a personal level. He also has a weekly coach’s show where fans can call in and talk to football coach Al Groh and basketball coach Dave Leitao.

Koehn, who graduated from the Kansas school of broadcasting in 1999, was able to turn his love into a career. After graduating, Koehn spent five years in Texas doing play-by-play in football, basketball and baseball between Sam Houston State University and Texas Lutheran University. He then spent time in Vermont with the Catamounts and the Vermont Lake Monsters, a single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Before going into sports broadcasting, Koehn was part of three state team tennis titles at Cheyenne Mountain. He won state titles at No. 3 doubles in 1992 and titles in No. 2 doubles in 1993 and 1994.

Kelsey Balk, Lewis-Palmer ‘07

Balk made quite a soccer debut as a freshman at NCAA Division III Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. She finished the year with 10 goals and six assists. Balk also earned an All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honorable mention.

The sophomore has a goal and has started all six games for the 4-1-1- Norse this season.

Brenton Byrd-Fulbright, Harrison ‘06

Byrd-Fulbright didn’t have to travel far to continue his football career. Byrd-Fulbright, now a junior, plays cornerback for Air Force.

He played in all 11 games last season and the first three this season. Byrd-Fulbright was in on three tackles against Wyoming and has five this season.

The former Panther, nicknamed “Byrdman”, was a member of the state high school champion 400-meter relay and was a four-year letterman in football, basketball and track.

–

Contact us: Have someone you want us to write about? Call 636-0260 or e-mail joseph.paisley@gazettedev.gazette.com

Photo by