Journal sports staff welcomes two new members

Jan. 25—Even as journalists were coming and journalists were leaving around us, our Journal sports staff had remained static for more than four years.

Then a couple of months ago, we lost two of our own — longtime copy editor Bob Christ to retirement and assistant sports editor Steve Virgen to an opportunity in California — over a span of three weeks.

So, in turn we've happily added some new faces, Sean Reider and Spencer Butler, and we'd like to make the introductions.

Reider is our new reporter on the beats of college football, primarily the University of New Mexico (as you'll see elsewhere in this section), golf, and others to come.

His previous bylines include The Detroit News, The Daily Telegram and The State News. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, he attended Frankenmuth High School and Michigan State University, where he majored in journalism with a concentration in writing and editing.

"In addition to being an excellent newspaper, the Journal has a tradition of strong, insightful sports

writing," Reider, 22, said. "I'm honored to help continue those efforts and especially thrilled to learn more about Albuquerque and New Mexico as a whole in the coming months."

Butler, 23, is an Albuquerque product who attended Sandia Prep and the University of New Mexico. He is manning the copy desk and is the point of first contact when many of you call us with information or questions. He also helped out with our advance New Mexico Bowl coverage last month.

"As a resident of Albuquerque for my entire life, I always looked forward to reading the Journal every morning to read up on the prior day's events," Butler said. "Now I have the ability to make sure that you get to see all of the interesting things that happen in the world of sports."

Indeed. They look forward to engaging our readers, and we look forward to even more of the fresh perspective and great energy they already have brought to our coverage.