RYAN LADIKA

My name is Ryan Ladika, and I am a sports reporter joining The Minot Daily News.

I am elated to join a great group of people in such a nice city. Truth be told, I’ve never been to North Dakota before I accepted this job, and I already love the area. This is my first full-time gig in the industry since I graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication last May.

Graduating in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unforseen and unique challenge, but it served as a meaningful lesson in patience, growth and perseverance. I completed my tenure in Phoenix with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism and a minor in communication. It’s great to meet you, and I appreciate your support and readership as I embark on this new adventure.

My love of sports, specifically baseball, brought me to ASU following my high school graduation. While I was in high school, my family and I regularly endured the 800-plus mile journey from my hometown of Littleton, Colorado, to Scottsdale, Arizona, to attend Cactus League Spring Training games each March.

I fell in love with the idea of living in Arizona in my next stage of life, and toured the Cronkite School. It was then that I discovered I could major in sports broadcasting journalism, and I dove headfirst into my desire to make my passion a full-time career.

I had the opportunity to personally learn from many of the greats in the media industry throughout my time in Phoenix, including ESPN’s Rece Davis, MLB Network’s Bob Costas, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, and former ESPN anchor-turned ASU football coach Herm Edwards, to name a few.

It was these experiences that truly solidified for me that this is the industry I wanted to join. I was enamored with the prospect of helping others feel the same way I do about the world of sport.

I got my start with Blaze Radio, the student radio station based out of the third-floor studio in the Cronkite School, and kept building from there. One of my favorite experiences thus far, though, was my time in Charleston, South Carolina.

In 2019 I accepted a job as a broadcasting and media relations intern with the Charleston RiverDogs, the Low-A affiliate of the New York Yankees at the time. From having the privilege of calling play-by-play and color commentary on the radio to publishing game and feature stories to meeting Oakland A’s and Yankees legend Reggie Jackson, it was an exhilarating six months in such a beautiful city.

I’m hoping to have a similar experience here in Minot as I continue to learn more about the culture and favorite pastimes of this great town. I can be reached at rladika@minotdailynews.com with any tips or story ideas, and I look forward to all the great opportunities this new journey will bring.