Bangor Daily News sportswriter Ernie Clark has been named the Maine Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association for the second time in three years.

Clark, who won the award based on a vote by his peers, covers high school sports, youth baseball and America Legion baseball for the BDN and also writes a weekly column.

Clark is a 1977 graduate of Foxcroft Academy and a 1982 graduate of the University of Maine. He worked as a sportswriter and sports editor at the Central Maine Morning Sentinel in Waterville for 11 years and also was named the sportswriter of the year by the NSSA while there.

Clark has been at the BDN since 2000 when he began work as a copy editor before moving to the sports staff approximately three years later.

“Ernie is the consummate professional, a tireless worker and talented writer,” BDN sports editor Joe McLaughlin said. “He’s part of a strong team of writers which we’re fortunate to have here.”

Dale Duff, the program director for Bangor radio station WZON (620 AM), was named the Maine sportscaster of the year by NSSA for the sixth time in his career.

Before becoming lead broadcaster and program director at the Bangor all-sports station, Duff was sports director and reporter at Bangor television station WLBZ (Channel 2) for 15 years (1978-1993).

Duff, a member of Ricker College’s final graduating class (1978) in Houlton, got his broadcasting start as a high school sophomore in 1973. The Houlton native did high school basketball play-by-play for Houlton radio station WHOU (100.1 FM).

Boston Globe sportswriter and columnist Bob Ryan was named NSSA’s national sportswriter of the year while CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz was selected NSSA’s national sportscaster of the year.