This weekend, Matt Piescinski will be the voice of the IHSA boy’s state track meet at O’Brien Stadium.  But for the Eastern community, he is more than just a voice.  He is the proverbial narrator of the university’s recent history. 

Piescinski is an Eastern chemistry graduate who works at Mars Petcare in Mattoon.  Piescinski said he believes it is because of the tight knit university community that he has been allowed to go outside of his professional occupation and be at the helm of Eastern’s most historic moments in recent memory. 

He got his start in broadcasting through WELH, a carrier current radio station at Eastern in the 1970s.  A carrier current station is one that broadcasts to one building or a group of buildings, such as a college campus, by way of the individual wiring of the buildings themselves.  

WELH was the predecessor for the WEIU television station.  Piescinski acted as the station manager during his time on campus.

Working at WELH, Piescinski developed a basis for PA announcing while covering Panther sports.  In that time, he covered two basketball teams which advanced to the NCAA Division II finals and finished third in each appearance in 1976 and 1978.  

Today, Piescinski acts as a public address announcer for the state track meets and several other meets across the state from Belleville to Chicago.  He has worked the state cross country meet in Peoria at Detweiller Park.  Additionally, he has been a PA announcer at football and basketball games for Eastern. 

In preparation for the state track meet, Piescinski travels to meets across the state of Illinois to gather names and information.  Charleston native and future Eastern cross country and track athlete Riley McInerney is someone Piescinski has seen at state track and cross country meets for four years.  Piescinski said he is looking forward to being there for McInerney’s final run.

Being a part of the Eastern sports history is something Piescinski said he is very proud of.

“I did all of Tony Romo’s football games. I did all of Sean Payton’s football games,” Piescinski said.  “I knew Kevin Duckworth.”

But it has not just been athletic greatness which Piescinski’s public speaking career has overseen; he is also the voice of graduation.

Five generations of Eastern students have graduated under the voice of Piescinski.  For twenty years, he has called the names of every Eastern graduate.

“I still pinch myself, sitting up there and realizing that I’m kind of a gatekeeper for commencement,” Piescinski said.  

Not only has he been the voice of commencement, but he was also the master of ceremonies for the inauguration of President Bill Perry.

A recording of the ceremony is now in Eastern’s historical archives. 

“I’ve always had people in the administration kind of back me to let me do some of this historic stuff.  I asked, ‘Just let me have a role in (the inauguration of President Perry),’” Piescinski said.  “Then 10 days before it I’m handed a binder and they say, ‘It’s your show.’”

He was master of ceremonies for the centennial celebration at Eastern when they opened the corner stone at Old Main. 

“I’ve witnessed a lot of Eastern history,” Piescinski said.  

But the reality is that Piescinski is much more than a witness.  He has acted as the narrator for some of the biggest events in the history of the university.  

“The attitude of the university is that when they have an event where they need somebody to do any kind of public address announcement, you think of Matt first,” Assistant Athletic Director Dave Kidwell said.

Kidwell attributes Piescinski’s success in PA announcing to his willingness to put in the extra time to do the little things that make a big difference.

“I enjoy walking away from something and knowing I’ve made the package more than what it basically is,” Piescinski said.

Piescinski has established himself in the market of collegiate athletics.  Last Thanksgiving, he traveled of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to act as PA announcer at the men’s and women’s Division I “Hoops for Hope” basketball tournament.

From exotic places and top notch D-I programs, to Charleston High School winter basketball tournaments, Piescinski manages to keep his work in perspective.

“I enjoy giving kids a memory,” Piescinski said.

Michael Spencer can be 

reaeched at 581-2812 

or [email protected].