Zachary Allen is a sports reporter and editor with four years of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, college wrestling and professional soccer. He has worked for major publications and news agencies, such as the Associated Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Philadelphia Inquirer and more.
Most recently, Zach worked as a sports text editor for the Associated Press. He was in charge of editing and publishing sports articles, ranging from game stories to features, swiftly and accurately for the Associated Press’ global audience to read.
Journalism Experience
Associated Press (July 2023 – March 2025)
Sports text editor and freelance reporter
- Worked alongside the AP’s team of editors and reporters to swiftly and accurately edit copy and create SEO-friendly headlines for millions of users to read across the globe
- Provided on-site coverage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Washington Commanders training camp and Team USA’s Olympic Wrestling Trials by writing game stories, features and sidebars
The Daily Collegian (February 2021 – May 2024)
Sports editor, college sports reporter and podcast host
- Covered Penn State’s football team and national-champion wrestling team by writing in-depth feature stories, providing consistent game coverage through articles and social media and hosting podcasts
- Led the wrestling beat as its editor by assigning projects, editing copy and publishing articles on the Daily Collegian‘s website and social media networks
- Co-founded the Mat Return Podcast that covered Penn State wrestling and co-hosted the 1-0 Podcast that covered Penn State football
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (May – August 2023)
Intern
- Responsible for covering the city’s professional sports teams, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and Riverhounds, as well as Pittsburgh high school football
- Attended pre-game press conferences, training camps, batting practices, prospect development camps and college commitment ceremonies to inform the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s audience
Philadelphia Inquirer (September – December 2023)
Intern
- Helped cover Penn State football for the Philadelphia Inquirer by attending press conferences and writing game stories and previews
USA Fencing (June – July 2024)
Communications intern
- Served as a secondary contact point during the 2024 Summer Nationals tournament
- Wrote feature stories and daily recap articles, interviewed fencers and collected video content that was posted on USA Fencing’s social media pages
Education
Penn State University
B.A. in Digital & Print Journalism
- Minored in sports studies and earned a sports writing certification from the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism
Skills
- AP Style
- Sports Writing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Feature Writing
- Editing
- Social Media
- Podcasting
Writing Samples
For the AP
- Without much offense, Vietnam plays tough against US in Women’s World Cup debut
- The Women’s World Cup featured eight new teams that treasured the experience gained on global stage
- Commanders get competitive at their first training camp under Dan Quinn
- Odds stacked against Vietnam in Women’s World Cup in opening match against United States
- Norway moves into the knockout round at Women’s World Cup with 6-0 rout over the Philippines
- Low-key Kiwis: New Zealand slow to embrace Women’s World Cup
- Two-time world champ J’den Cox retires at US Olympic wrestling trials; 44-year-old reaches finals
For the Daily Collegian
- ‘More than just the player’ | Ex-Penn State football player Aaron Maybin’s art, passion helping Baltimore area (Award-winning article)
- How a 2-month isolation transformed Carter Starocci’s wrestling career
- Journey Brown’s (tire) change from Penn State football to NASCAR pit crew
For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Ji Hwan Bae’s elite speed runs him into trouble in Pirates’ loss to Texas Rangers
- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hosts 11th annual ManUp Pittsburgh event in Cranberry, emphasizes relationship with stepdad
- Duquesne football: How scheduling is putting a pre-World War II powerhouse back on the map
- College-turned-NFL teammates Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton build off strong professional debuts
Awards
2023 Golden Quill winner for Student Excellence in Written Journalism – Sports
2023 First place in the Student Keystone Media Awards Sports Story category
Zachary Allen 