From the Classroom to the Sidelines: Angelique Chengelis `82 Reflects on 30 Years of Sports Writing

Angelique (Seremetis) Chengelis `82 has been writing about the University of Michigan football team for over 30 years as a beat writer for The Detroit News. She has not only covered the biggest sporting events in Michigan, including two University of Michigan football national championships but also covered events like the Indianapolis 500, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup Finals, NBA Finals, and most major PGA golf events.

While working at her first newspaper job after graduating from the University of Cincinnati, The Knoxville Journal, she also covered the legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summit, who Angelique says was the toughest coach she has ever been around.

Angelique was kind enough to take some time from hitting her story deadlines to talk about her experiences working as a sportswriter and how education at Country Day impacted her life.

A Classic 1980s Basketball Rivalry Piqued Her Interest in Sports Writing.

“I think I always wanted to be a sportswriter. In Upper School, I played four years of volleyball and softball, and two years of track and basketball. I remember in seventh grade – my first year at Country Day – writing a story about a Lakers versus Celtics playoff matchup in Mr. [Robert] Voorhees’s English class. He handed me back the paper and told me I wasn’t very good at writing. I took it as a challenge to improve my writing because I really liked writing about sports. And by the time I graduated, Mr. Voorhees, who was a massive sports fan, told me, ‘Now you can write.’ It was such a great affirmation.”
 

The 1997 University of Michigan National Championship Team Set the Standard for All Future Teams.

“I have been fortunate to cover two national championship teams at the University of Michigan. 1997 was a very special year because I got to cover Charles Woodson [cornerback from 1995-1997] and see a real team win the national championship, which you don’t get to see all the time. That team was filled with really top-notch guys and coaches and has become the baseline when I compare teams. The 2023 championship team comes very close. With the roller coaster of events and challenges that the team had to go through, they never flinched. They were just a bunch of really nice guys.”

It's Not as Glamorous a Job as You Might Think.

“Being a beat writer is more than just getting to go to games. It is an extremely demanding job. You have to really love deadlines because it’s quite a challenge to write a good story while trying to hit that deadline, all while sitting in a freezing cold car. And now, with social media, we are feeding a 24/7 news cycle, so I must have my phone and laptop with me all the time. It is truly a grind.”
 

She Does it for the Love of Storytelling.

“There are so many great things that I love about this job. I love watching the games and the competition. I love seeing people at the top of their game. I love interacting with athletes. And I have been doing it for so long now, I’m even covering their sons! But they never make me feel out of place. I am just really interested in meeting unique people and telling their stories.”

If You Want to Become a Beat Writer, Starting Small is Okay.

“I learned so much from my experience at the Knoxville Journal. It’s where I learned the fundamentals of the newspaper business. It’s where I learned how to develop sources and cultivate real relationships with people so that I am not always calling them when I need something. Work at your college newspapers and radio and television stations. It will help you learn those essential fundamentals.”

Angelique Learned Many Lessons by Writing for a History Class Project.

“While writing my junior research paper, Mr. [Lee] Pattison [retired history teacher] taught me the importance of researching the topics and the subjects you are writing about. I learned how important it was to get first-person interviews and how impactful that type of insight can be for a story. Sometimes you have to really look deep into a subject before you get to the interview or start writing the story. That experience is something that I have definitely carried with me into my professional career.”

Country Day Supported Her During Tough Times.

“I had some family issues going on during my junior year that were making it hard for me to focus on my schoolwork. I remember Mrs. [Harriet] Hokanson [retired French teacher] stopping me in the hallway after noticing that my grades had been slipping and asking me what was going on. Once I told her, she helped me get the support I needed to get myself back together. It was my first experience where someone paid that much attention to me and noticed that something wasn’t right. And I think that’s part of being at a small, intimate school. I always felt like I was cared for and that people wanted to know if I was doing okay. You don’t get lost at Country Day.”

She Will Always Be Grateful for Her Country Day Experience.

“I tell this to people all the time: I think that the time in your life when you are in middle school and high school is so important in shaping who you are going to be. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am that my mom pushed for me to attend Country Day. I am very, very grateful for that experience.”