Shatel New President Of Hoops Writers

The Omaha World-Herald's Tom Shatel assumed the presidency of the American Basketball Writers Association Monday at the group's annual awards meeting in Indianapolis.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution sportswriter Tony Barnhart, outgoing president of the USBWA, wrote in his final column of "Tipoff," the association's newsletter, that his year with the gavel went by all too quickly.

"When we gather on April 3, it will be my honor to pass the gavel to Tom Shatel, a very active and enthusiastic vice-president," Barnhart wrote. "When you sit in this chair, you appreciate that."

Shatel has been a sports columnist at the World-Herald since 1991. He served as president of the Football Writers Association of America in 2000.