Ron Petak
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- Sport(s):
- Media Personality
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- Years Played:
- 1985-Present
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- Year Inducted:
- 2019
An Omaha native, Petak has been involved in Bellevue University athletics since the mid-1980s. He has served the BU athletic department as the play-by-play voice for Bruins' men's basketball games for tape delay on the Bellevue access channel, provided his voice for radio play-by-play for BU baseball, and hosted the Bruins Sports cable TV show with former coach and Hall of Famer Todd Eisner.
After two years as a columnist for the Omaha World-Herald, Petak took a job at the Bellevue Leader in May 1985 and began his position as sports editor in November of that year. He was named the Bellevue Leader news editor in 1990 and in 1999 was named the executive editor of the Bellevue Leader, Papillion Times, Gretna Breeze, and Ralston Recorder.
From sportswriter to the executive editor of four local newspapers, Petak has kept the Bruin athletics' program, the university and its people in the public's eye.
He has won numerous state and national awards for writing and page design and was presented the Distinguished Communication Service Award in 2013 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Communication. He has been a presenter for local, state, and national seminars and webinars.
Petak worked in the press box at Don Roddy Field for the Bellevue baseball team during coach, and fellow Hall of Famer, Joe Foral's career and introduced that Casio keyboard to Bruin baseball.
He has also served as the emcee for numerous Bellevue athletic events including BU Athlete of the Year banquets, BU Athletics Hall of Fame banquets, and former men's basketball coach and athletic director Jerry Mosser's retirement gala.
