For Karl Mandik a 2008 Ball State Alumnus being able to wear many hats of the KERO ABC 23 team is something he embraces. During the week this Chicago native throws on the giant sombrero that is news reporting as THE Central Bakersfield reporter. Karl has the energy and the enthusiasm to tackle Downtown Bakersfield covering all of Central Bakersfield from highway 99 to Union Ave. During the weekends its time to trade in the sombrero for his favorite Chicago White Sox hat as Karl is the weekend sports anchor and reporter for ABC 23.

Karl's passion for the business was sparked by his love of sports. Working as an intern at WRTV 6 sports in Indianapolis Karl was able to learn and mold the craft that he so deeply loves. During his time rooting on the Cardinal and White of Ball State; Karl served as lead anchor for Cardinal Sports Live and as NewsWatch at 9's sports director, anchor, and reporter... which lead to his first job at WPTA/WISE in Fort Wayne. Karl made the phones light up with his ever-funny wit on NBC 33's Sound Off as an on-air analyst and fill in weekend sports anchor.

Besides the sports side Karl has found a new love for news and soaks in the ever-changing world of Bakersfield with each story he does.

Some of Karl's favorite interviews and events covered include, The Indianapolis 500, The International Bowl In Toronto, interviewing Flava-Flav, Peyton Manning, Larry Bird, and of course everyone’s favorite Danica Patrick.

In his spare time you can catch Karl driving his delorean at 88 miles per hour, being a karate instructor for the Cobra-Kai dojo, spending time with his loving and caring family, playing Wii, hitting the gym with Russian prize fighter Ivan Drago, and becoming an active member in his church.

Oh and one last thing...Karl is in no way biased but his favorite teams include...The Green Bay Packers, The Chicago Bulls, The Chicago White Sox, The Chicago Blackhawks, and The Cardinals of Ball State...he promises not to favor these teams on air...or at least try.