Murray Named Nation’s Top Columnist

Jim Murray of The Los Angeles Times has won the 1984 Associated Press Sports Editors Assn. award for best column writing among newspapers with circulation of 175,000 or more.

The Times also placed in the top 10 in the judging for best daily and best Sunday sections, 175,000 circulation or more, and also was listed in the top 10 in special sections for all circulation groups. The Times’ special section entry was its “Olympics ‘84” section of Aug. 11, 1984.

In the large-paper circulation category, five papers made the top 10 in Sunday, daily and special sections. They were the Miami Herald, the Boston Globe, the Orange County Register, the Dallas Morning News and The Times. In that circulation category, the Boston Globe and The Times topped the rest by winning or placing in five section or writing categories.

Rick Reilly of The Times took fifth place in best features with a story on diver Greg Louganis, who went on win two Olympic gold medals.

The awards were announced Thursday at Tampa, Fla., where the Associated Press Managing Editors’ sports committee conducted the final judging. Preliminary judging had been done in Tampa last month by APSE members.