Durant Democrat sports writer Kevin Farr and editor Matt Swearengin captured awards last Saturday at the Oklahoma Press Association Better Newspaper Contest during the OPA convention in Norman.
Farr received first place for his story, “Where there’s a Will, there’s a way,” and it is about the Robinson family tragedy when Lady Lions head basketball coach Will Robinson and daughter Clara died in a Christmas Eve 2024 car accident in Sherman, Texas. Will died trying to save his daughter when they were swept away by flood waters.
Acting head coach Tony Robinson, who served three years as his son’s assistant, was initially reluctant to continue coaching after Will’s death, but he agreed to do it and he led the team to the Class 5A state tournament for the first time in 16 years, something that Farr wrote many might call divine intervention.
Farr began writing for the Democrat in the spring of 1988 and he has a total of 38 years in sports writing, a large portion of which has been at the Democrat.
“Kevin’s first-place win did not surprise me at all, and I consider it one of the best stories published in the Democrat in my more than 29 years at the newspaper,” Swearengin said.
Swearengin received the Weekly Photo of the Year award sponsored by OGE Energy Corp. and Oklahoma Press Association for his photo taken last year at Bryan County Sheriff Johnny Christian’s service when the casket flag was presented to Christian’s widow Teresa. Christian died unexpectedly at his home on March 28, 2025.
He also received second place for this photo in the Better Newspaper Contest. A judge wrote, “Poignant photograph of an emotional moment not usually caught on camera. This captures not only the wife’s emotion but gives a sense of the grieving of the entire community.”
Swearengin received second place in news for his story on Sheriff Christian’s funeral, third place in news photography for his photo of a man arrested after a standoff, second place in feature photo for his picture of the Calera Homecoming King and Queen and third place sports photo for an image he captured at a Caddo football game.
The Democrat placed second in photography. Six photos taken by Swearengin were submitted for this category.
A judge wrote, “This was a close contest between the first and second place winners. The front-page news photo was the most powerful of all the entries. Very, very good job.”
Swearengin has spent 30 years covering news in Durant and Bryan County. He began his newspaper career in 1996 with the Bryan County Star before being hired by the Democrat in 1997. In January, he was inducted into the Durant Area Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame because of his longtime coverage of events in the community.
He said covering community tragedies is a difficult task and that he is grieving alongside everyone else during these times.
“I appreciate the support of the families, friends and colleagues when chronicling these tragic moments in our community,” Swearengin said. “One thing I have noticed over the years is that when there is a tragedy, the community grieves together.”
