Athletics

Award-winning TV trailblazer Gayle Sierens to visit Penn State on April 10

Gayle Sierens, a TV news co-anchor in Tampa, Florida, for 38 years and the first woman to handle play-by-play duties of an NFL game, will visit Penn State for a free public session April 10. Credit: WFLA NewsAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — An award-winning television journalist and a TV sports trailblazer will visit Penn State for a free public session at 7 p.m. April 10 in 101 Chambers Building at University Park.

Gayle Sierens, who worked 38 years for WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, will be featured in "A Conversation with Gayle Sierens," presented by the University's chapter of the Association of Women in Sports Media and the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.

Sierens, an Emmy Award winner for her news and sports reporting, was a longtime news anchor in Tampa. During that time she became a familiar and trusted source of information for viewers.

Sierens started her career with the station in sports, advancing rapidly and becoming co-anchor of WFLA's 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts.

She also earned national assignments for NBC Sports. In 1987, she became the first woman to handle play-by-play duties of an NFL game when she called action between the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 27.

While her success offered many opportunities, Sierens focused on her work in Florida. She worked at WFLA for 38 years until her retirement in 2015.

Sierens has visited Penn State many times previously. She is married to Mike Martin, a former linebacker for the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots. Their daughter, Maddie Martin, was a member of the Penn State women's volleyball team from 2010 to 2013. An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Martin graduated with a degree in journalism.

Last Updated June 2, 2021