Barry Wong

 

      Barry Wong joined WBKB in September 2009. Prior to coming to Alpena, Barry worked for Golfweek Magazine creating video content for Golfweek.com for three years. Barry covered college and amateur golf around the country as a videographer, editor and reporter.
       Barry graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism in 2006. He worked as the sports director for UNLV-TV’s weekly news show UNLViews and produced/hosted Rebel Banter, a 30-minute feature sports program.
        When Barry’s not working, he enjoys watching movies and his favorite television shows, including How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory. He’s looking forward to working in a community dedicated to supporting local sports.
If you’d like to contact Barry, e-mail him a 

wbkbsports@wbkb11.com

 

Jeff Landers

Jeff Landers joined the WBKB team in October 2009. Before moving to northeast Michigan, Jeff worked part time for News Channel 34 in Binghamton, NY, covering high school football and the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League. Jeff graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2009 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. While at SBU, Jeff worked for SBU-TV as a sports anchor and reporter. He became the sports director of the campus radio station, WSBU-FM, as a freshman and worked there until his junior year, calling play-by-play for the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team. Jeff became the production director during the first semester of his junior year and was elected station manager later that year.
Jeff is an avid football fan, wearing the Buffalo Bills’ red, white and blue proudly. He also enjoys baseball, particularly the New York Yankees. Jeff likes a lot of music, but more specifically rock (Incubus, Metallica, Shinedown, Green Day and the Foo Fighters) and rap (Kanye, T.I., Akon, Sean Kingston, Dr. Dre and Eminem).  When not watching sports on the tube, his favorite shows include: The Sopranos, The Office, Family Guy, Futurama, South Park, Scrubs, Two and a Half Men and Seinfeld.
Jeff has yet to pick a favorite college football team, so if you see him, let him know which team he should root for: U of M, State, Central or Western.
If you have questions or comments feel free to contact Jeff at jeffl@wbkb11.com
 

Lauren Rozyla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 











Lauren Rozyla
joined the WBKB-TV team in November 2009. She currently co-anchors the 6 PM weekday broadcast. Lauren is a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago, where she served as an anchor, reporter, and producer for the live college news show, Newsbeat.

Something she'll never forget was the amazing experience of reporting live from Barack Obama's Election Night rally in downtown Chicago, all while braving the crowds! That coverage recently won a student Emmy!

Lauren has loved learning from some of the best in the business. She's worked alongside several investigative reporters, and even spent over a year independently investigating a police shooting -- an article that was recently published in the Chicago Tribune.
 

She loves the windy city, but is definitely a Michigan girl at heart. Lauren's thrilled to be back in her home state -- her whole family still lives in Flint! In her free time, she loves curling up with a good book, a cup of coffee, and her big orange tabby cat, Hank.
 
Lauren knows that helping you tell your story is the heart of any good news piece -- and wants to hear from you! If you've got a great story idea or news tip, feel free to email her at lrozyla@wbkb11.com
 

Tom Sandquist

Tom is a native of Indiana, growing up on the north side of Indianapolis.  He is a proud graduate of Purdue University in 2009 where he majored in atmospheric science.  His weather experience goes far beyond the classroom with two internships: WEHT in Evansville, IN and WLS in Chicago, IL. 

When not analyzing the weather, Tom loves cheering on his favorite sports teams, such as the Indianapolis Colts, the Chicago Cubs, and the Purdue Boilermakers.  He enjoys reading, watching movies, and keeping up with his favorite television shows.  Tom is also an avid music fan, especially of the rock genre, although he will listen to just about anything.  When he wants to hear music of his own, he takes out his violin or guitar and plays. 
 

While Tom is a Hoosier at heart, he has always been fascinated with the weather in Michigan and can’t wait to experience and forecast it firsthand.  Feel free to send in your weather pictures or report the weather in your area to toms@wbkb11.com.

Ashley Izbicki

Ashley Izbicki joined the WBKB news team in February, 2010. She recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago, where she served as a reporter and anchor for the school’s live show NewsBeat, as well as Beyond The Game, a sports feature show. She interned at three stations in her favorite big city, including NBC, CBS, and Comcast SportsNet. Standout memories include interviewing members of the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, and producing sports stories alongside some of the top professionals in the media industry. She also enjoyed covering the 2008 Presidential Election in downtown Chicago, and assisting reporters with the production of NBC’s Sports Sunday and The Post Game Show.
Ashley says she misses the big city but likes the small town atmosphere here in Alpena, saying she’s “a city girl with a country heart.”  Ashley is looking forward to spending time on the lake this summer. She has a passion for fashion, music, and sports: The Indianapolis Colts, The Chicago Cubs, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and The Chicago Blackhawks are her favorite teams.
If you’ve got something you would like to share on Channel 11 News, just want to chat about fashion, or give Ashley trouble over her sports picks, contact her at izbicki@wbkb11.com.