Washington Examiner sports columnist Rick Snider was named co-Washington Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame.

Snider -- the senior member of an Examiner sports commentary team that also includes 2009 Maryland Sportswriter of the Year Thom Loverro, MASN baseball analyst Phil Wood and Emmy award-winning TV producer Jim Williams -- provides commentary for The Examiner four times a week and is one of the area's most popular and experienced writers. He has covered Washington sports since 1978 and is best known for his Redskins coverage and a style that sparks debate among readers.

"Rick's historical knowledge of Washington sports really sets him apart," Examiner sports editor James Irwin said. "But he also has this great gift of being able to measure the pulse of a locker room and an organization. His columns capture the context of the season and era. That's the kind of perspective readers really appreciate."

Snider has won six other major awards, including the 2002 Dateline Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his local coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He shares this latest award with Washington Post reporter Dan Steinberg.

"This award brings much-deserved recognition to Rick and, by extension, to a sports staff that is second to none in the Washington area," said Stephen G. Smith, editor of The Examiner.

The NSSA winners will be honored May 16 in Salisbury, N.C.

- Staff reports