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SIPA members receive national recognition, awards

Posted December 11, 2020

Above photo by Joseph Grech, Legend, Wandol HS (Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina).

SIPA members received big awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association and the Quill and Scroll Honor Society this fall.

NSPA announced its winners of the annual Best in Show, Pacemaker and Individual competitions and JEA announced National Student Media Contest winners Saturday, Nov. 21. These awards exemplify excellence in scholastic journalism and recognize individual journalistic efforts. The Pacemaker is NSPA's preeminent award, recognizing the best programs in the nation. The Best of Show award signifies overall excellence among the attendees and entries at the convention.

CSPA announced its Gold Circle Awards for print news and magazine. Gold Circle Awards are offered to recognize superior work by student journalists usually as individuals but sometimes as an entire staff working with either print or online media. These media are published in schools or colleges throughout the United States and in overseas schools following an American plan of education.

Quill and Scroll announced its Blue and Gold Awards last week. These awards honor high school journalism programs that excelled in the International Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest or in the Yearbook Excellence Contest. 

Publications and individuals who are members of SIPA and were honored during the convention are listed below.

NSPA Pioneer Award

Erinn Harris, Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology (Virginia)

Chris Waugaman, Prince George HS (Virginia)

CSPA Gold Circle Awards

Open (free) form poetry     



  • 2nd – Ainsley Sinclair, Earthwinds, Jackson Preparatory School (Jackson, Miss.)
  • CM – Claire Mattes, Voices, Nation Ford HS (Fort Mill, S.C.)


Closed (traditional) form poetry     

  • 

2nd – Ainsley Sinclair, Earthwinds, Jackson Preparatory School (Jackson, Miss.)
  • 

CM – Caroline Ingram, Mindprints, Jackson Preparatory Jr. HS (Flowood, Miss.)


Experimental fiction     



  • 3rd – Gabriel Duval, The Lantern, Albemarle HS (Charlottesville, Va.)


Traditional fiction     

  • 
1st – Ainsley Sinclair, Earthwinds, Jackson Preparatory School (Jackson, Miss.)


Essays     

  • 

CM – Josh Cacciatore, Voices, Nation Ford HS (Fort Mill, SC.)

Humor     



  • 2nd – Elena Gilbertson Hall, iliad, Clarke Central HS (Athens, Ga.)

Non-fiction article     

  • 

3rd – Jessie Bouterse and Sam Huray, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS (Atlanta, Ga.)

Non-fiction interview     


  • 1st – Annamarie Yates, Voices, Nation Ford HS (Fort Mill, S.C.)

Use of typography on one page or spread     



  • CM – Hannah Polk, Mindprints, Jackson Preparatory Jr. HS (Flowood, Miss.)


Use of a Designed or art headline     

  • 

2nd – Katherine Cole, Mindprints, Jackson Preparatory Jr. HS (Flowood, Miss.)

Single illustration: hand-drawn     



  • 2nd – Abigail Heeney, Voices, Nation Ford HS (Fort Mill, S.C.)

Single illustration: computer generated     

  • 

3rd – Sangeeta Greenwald, The Lantern, Albemarle HS (Charlottesville, Va.)


Photography: Portfolio of work     

  • 


3rd – Michael Marciniak, Voices, Nation Ford HS (Fort Mill, S.C.)

Photo illustration     

  • 

CM – Yasmin Awan and Alexandra Cardona, Voices, Nation Ford HS (Fort Mill, S.C.)

Design of a single spread     



  • CM – Megan Tang, Mindprints, Jackson Preparatory Jr. HS (Flowood, Miss.)

Design portfolio     


  • 3rd – Megan Tang, Mindprints, Jackson Preparatory Jr. HS, (Flowood, Miss.)

News writing     

  • 

3rd – Leni Steinhardt, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)

Personal opinion: On-campus issues     



  • CM – Zoe Gordon, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)


Sports Commentary     



  • 2nd – Bram Mansbach, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS (Atlanta, Ga.) 

  • 3rd – Diego Gutierrez, The Eagle's Eye, W. Charles Akins HS, (Austin, Texas)

Sports News (Includes season summaries and game stories)     

  • 
1st – Ellen Fox and Julia Kay Smith, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)

Cultural feature 

  • 
1st – Angus Sewell McCann, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)
  • 

CM – Janssen Transier, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)

Headline writing     

  • 
1st – Samantha Powers and Bella Russo, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)


Caption writing     



  • 2nd – Staff, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Austin, Texas)


Sidebar writing     

  • 

CM – Jane Ellen Dial and Annie Fortune, The Tiger, Little Rock Central HS (Little Rock, Ark.)

Alternative Story Form      


  • CM – Brianna Fisher, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)

Photo story      



  • 2nd – Rea Gray, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Austin, Texas) 

  • 3rd – Bella Russo, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)


Single spot News photograph     


  • 1st – Hunter Musi, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)


Single feature photograph     



  • 2nd – Graham McAlister, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)

Single sports photograph     


  • 2nd – Richard Rivera, Kingwood Park Times, Kingwood Park HS (Kingwood, Texas)
  • 

CM – Olive Embry, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)


Photography Portfolio

  • 

2nd – Bella Russo, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)
  • 

CM – Gabby Sherwood, The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)

Informational graphics     



  • 3rd – Anna McClellan,The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas) 
  • 
CM – Brianna Fisher, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)


Informational graphics: Portfolio of work     



  • 2nd – Brianna Fisher, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)


Typography: The look of one page or spread     



  • CM – Dee Carreon, The Eagle's Eye, W. Charles Akins HS (Austin, Texas)

Typography: A designed or art headline     



  • CM – Alexis Huang, The Eagle's Eye, W. Charles Akins HS (Austin, Texas)

News Page Design     



  • 3rd – Grace Nugent,The Shield, McCallum HS (Austin, Texas)

Alternative Story Presentation     


  • 1st – Brianna Fisher, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)


  • 3rd – Brianna Fisher, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)
  • 

CM – Nadia Murillo, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Parkland, Fla.)

Design Portfolio of work     



  • CM – Abrielle Zelek, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)
  • CM – Megan Wooters,Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)

Photo layout: Full Page     

  • 
1st – Rae Gray and Abbey Repka, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Austin, Texas)


Photo layout: Portfolio of work     


  • 1st – Rae Gray,The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Austin, Texas)


2020 JEA Fall National Student Media Awards

Feature writing

  • Superior – Sarah Crowder, Argyle HS (Texas)

News Writing

  • Superior – Brooke Elliott, Little Rock Central HS (Ark.)
  • Excellent – Ashlynn Roberts, Argyle HS (Texas)

Sports Writing

  • Honorable Mention – Brody Wallace, Sparkman HS (Ala.)
  • Honorable Mention – Sam Mykel, Argyle HS (Texas)

Review Writing

  • Honorable Mention – Owen Silzer, Little Rock Central HS (Ark.)

Editorial Cartooning

  • Superior – Kameron Glenn, Sparkman HS (Ala.)

Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics

  • Honorable Mention – Afrida Raidah, Mill Creek HS (Ga.)

Sports Feature Photography

  • Honorable Mention – Nicholas West, Argyle HS (Texas)

Photography Portfolio

  • Excellent – Katie Ray, Argyle HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Kaitlyn Dickey, Sparrkman HS (Ala.)

First-year Photography

  • Excellent – Delaney Lechowit, Argyle HS (Texas)

Broadcast News Story

  • Honorable Mention – Alice Scott, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Megan Tanis, Catawba Ridge HS (S.C.)

Broadcast Sports Story

  • Excellent – Blake Woodard, Catawba Ridge HS (S.C.)

2020 Broadcast Pacemaker Awards

Eagle Nation News
Prosper HS (Prosper, Texas)

2020 Newspaper/Newsmagazine/Specialty Magazine Pacemaker Awards

Tribal Tribune
Wando HS (Mount Pleasant, S.C.)

The Dispatch
James Bowie HS (Austin, Texas)

tjTODAY
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
(Alexandria, Va.)

2020 NSPA Individual Competition Winners 

BROADCAST STORY OF THE YEAR

Broadcast News Story

  • 1st – Anna Caltabiano, Cole Holifield, & Theodore Rackauskas, "WAHS News," American Heritage School Plantation (Fla.)
  • 2nd – Blake Woodard, "CRN-TV," Catawba Ridge HS (S.C.)
  • 3rd – Cristina Folsom & Grant Johnson, "Eagle Nation News," Prosper HS (Texas)

Broadcast Feature Story

  • 3rd – Cole Holifield & Theodore Rackauskas, "WAHS News," American Heritage School Plantation (Fla.)
  • 4th – Cristina Folsom, "Eagle Nation News," Prosper HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Natalie Adams & Juliana Thompson, "KCBY-TV," Coppell HS (Texas)

Broadcast Sports Story

  • 2nd – Cristina Folsom, Brenna Gibbons, Mason Mumy & Goel Yongo, "Eagle Nation News," Prosper HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Sandesh Bharthur, "KCBY-TV," Coppell HS (Texas)

Broadcast Commentary

  • 1st – Cole Holifield, Alexander Nazareth & Theodore Rackauskas, "WAHS News," American Heritage School Plantation (Florida)
  • 3rd – Grant Johnson, "Eagle Nation News," Prosper HS (Texas)
  • 5th – Grant Johnson, "Eagle Nation News," Prosper HS (Texas)

CARTOON OF THE YEAR

Comics Journalism

  • 3rd – Shriya Vanparia, The Sidekick, Coppell HS (Texas)

Comic Strip

  • 5th – Phoebe Raborn, The Tiger, Little Rock Central HS (Ark.)

Editorial Cartoon

  • Honorable Mention – Lilli Sams, Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)
  • Honorable Mention – Leah Ronkin, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.)

DESIGN OF THE YEAR

Newspaper Front Page

  • Honorable Mention – Nick Pranske & Charlotte Vanyo, The Sidekick, Coppell HS (Texas)

Literary/specialty magazine page/spread

  • 5th – Madeline Finley, Fiza Jiwani & Amelia Moscowitz, Psyche, Richland Northeast HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable Mention – Beatrice Acheson, Iliad, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)

Yearbook Theme package

  • Honorable Mention – Maci Clark & Max Decker, Westwind, West Henderson HS (N.C.)

Illustration

  • 1st – Shriya Vanparia & Charlotte Vanyo, The Sidekick, Coppell HS (Texas)

DIGITAL STORY OF THE YEAR

Multimedia News Story

  • 1st – Sarah Crowder & Jaclyn Harris, The Talon News, Argyle HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Staff, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.)

Multimedia Sports Story

  • Honorable Mention – Owen Donnelly, Gretchen Hinger & Luna Reichert, Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)
  • Honorable Mention – Ana Arredondo & Maggie Hale, Eagle Nation Online, Prosper HS (Texas)

Photo Slideshow

  • 1st – Hunter Musi, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable Mention – Rae Gray, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Alex Daggett, The Talon News, Argyle HS (Texas)

Interactive Graphic

  • Honorable Mention – Staff, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

Podcast

  • Honorable Mention – Tomas Marrero & Stella Shenkman, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

Blog

  • 3rd – Lucy Marco, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Max Rhodes, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

PHOTO OF THE YEAR

News Photo

  • 5th – Bela Tapperson, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Hunter Musi, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable Mention – Alex Daggett, The Talon News, Argle HS (Texas)

Feature Photo

  • 1st – Caleb Melville, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

Sports/Game Action Photo

  • 4th – Joseph Grech, Legend, Wando HS (S.C.)

Sports Feature Photo

  • Honorable Mention – Joseph Grech, Legend, Wando HS (S.C.)

Environmental Portrait

  • 2nd – Anna Garcia, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Elizabeth Warren, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)

PORTFOLIO OF THE YEAR

Broadcast Journalist of the Year

  • 4th – Cristina Folsom, Eagle Nation News, Prosper HS (Texas)

Designer of the Year

  • Honorable Mention – Megan Wooters, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)

Photojournalist of the Year

  • 1st – Hunter Musi, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • 5th – Bella Russo, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

Writer of the Year

  • 3rd – Eva Chillura, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)

STORY OF THE YEAR

News Story 

  • 3rd – Mackenzie Caudill & Owen Donnelly, Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)
  • Honorable Mention – Karen Lu, The Sidekick, Coppell HS (Texas)

Feature Story 

  • 1st – Dominik Zelek, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • 3rd – Isabella Abraham, Eagle Nation Online, Prosper HS (Texas)
  • 5th – Isabella Spuler, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)

Sports Story 

  • 3rd – Kamry Harty, The Southerner, Henry W. Grady HS (Ga.)

Editorial

  • Honorable Mention – Staff, Eagle Nation Online, Prosper HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Trinity Flaten, The Talon News, Argyle HS (Texas)

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media Reporting

  • 1st – Staff, McCallum Journalism, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • 3rd – George Bagwell, Eva Chillura & Emma Martin, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • 5th – Holly Bill & Betsy Quimby, HHS Media, Harrisonburg HS (Va.)

Social Media Promotion

  • 4th – Eva Chillura & Emma Martin, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable Mention – Owen Donnelly & Luna Reichert, Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)

COVID-19 COVERAGE

Broadcast news or feature

  • 2nd – Paige Bell, "CRN-TV," Catawba Ridge HS (S.C.)
  • 4th – Tabi Tudor, "KCBY-TV," Coppell HS (Texas)

Print: news or feature

  • 4th – Shivi Sharma, The Sidekick, Coppell HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Staff, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.)

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Design of the Year

  • 2nd – Mallory Mayo, The Round-Up, Woodland Junior HS (Ark.)

Story of the Year

  • Honorable Mention – Marlee Means, The Round-Up, Woodland Junior HS (Ark.)

Photo of the Year

  • Honorable Mention – Edie Brannon, The Round-Up, Woodland Junior HS (Ark.)
  • Honorable Mention – Edie Brannon, The Round-Up, Woodland Junior HS (Ark.)

2020 Brasler Prize

The first-place winners from each Story of the Year category (News, Feature Story, Editorial/Opinion Story, Sports Story), as well as the Social Justice Reporting category, compete for the $1,000 Brasler Prize.

Dominik Zelek, Tribal Tribune Wando HS (S.C.)

2020 NSPA Fall Best in Show

STAFF RECOGNITION

Newspaper

  • 10th place – Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)

Newsmagazine

  • 2nd place – The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.)

Website (1,500 or more students)

  • 4th place – The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • 6th place – Coppell Student Media, Coppell HS (Texas)
  • 8th place – Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)
  • 9th place – The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)

Broadcast News Program (High School)

  • 1st place – RNE-TV, Richland Northeast HS (S.C.)
  • 4th place – ECSN, East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies (S.C.)

Literary Arts Magazine

  • 4th place – Iliad Literary-Art Magazine, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)

Yearbook (608-352 pages)

  • 9th place – Aerie, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (Fla.)

Yearbook (288-224 pages)

  • 4th place –The Knight, McCallum HS (Texas)

Yearbook (Junior High/Middle School)

  • 2nd place – The Round-Up, Woodland Jr. HS (Ark.)

INDIVIDUAL RECOGNITION

Editorial Leadership

  • 5th – Cade Spencer, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)
  • 6th – Naomi Hendershot, Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)

Blog

  • 3rd – Lucciana Choueiry, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)
  • 6th – Ellen Fox, Madelynn Niles & Grace Nugent, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

Podcast

  • 3rd – Evelyn Griffin, Theo Roe & Alysa Spiro, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • 4th – Maddie Moats, Christi Norris & Caroline Wilburn, Eagle Nation Online, Prosper HS (Texas)
  • 7th – Anna McClellan, Grace Nugent, Theo Roe, Elisha Scott & Alysa Spiro, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • 9th – Colin Barnes, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)

Literary Magazine Design

  • 1st – Beatrice Acheson, Owen Austin-Totty & Andrew Robinson, iliad, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)

Newspaper/Newsmagazine Design

  • 8th – Faith Lawrence, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)
  • 9th – Hannah Flint, Audrey Kelly & Graham McAlister, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)

Photojournalism

  • 1st – Luna Reichert, Odyssey Media Group, Clarke Central HS (Ga.)
  • 4th – Graham McAlister, Tribal Tribune, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • 5th – Caleb Melville – The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)

Broadcast News Story

  • 5th – Breize Brown, Ebony Christie, RNE-TV, Richland Northeast HS (S.C.)

COVID-19 Reporting

  • 7th – Breize Brown, Ebony Christie & Brennan Davis, RNE-TV, Richland Northeast HS (S.C.)
  • 9th – Josie Bradsby & Alice Scott, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • 10th – Arushi Sharma & Cade Spencer, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)

Election Reporting

  • 4th – Faith Lawrence, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)
  • 5th – Kristi Perez, RNE-TV, Richland Northeast HS (S.C.)
  • 8th – Samantha Powers, The Shield, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • 9th – Natalie Cullen & Izzy Rejino, The Dispatch, James Bowie HS (Texas)

Social Justice Reporting

  • 5th – Shreya Beldona, The Sidekick, Coppell HS (Texas)
  • 6th – Ebony Christie & Alani Hamilton, RNE-TV, Richland Northeast HS (S.C.)

2020 Quill and Scroll Blue and Gold Excellence Contest

Class A Academic Photography

  • 2nd place – Yesmine Alston
  • 3rd place – Sarah Cote

Class A Caption Writing

  • 3rd place  – Lily Dasher, McCallum HS (Texas)

Class A Clubs or Org Photography

  • 2nd place – Anna Nagle, McCallum HS (Texas)

Class A Clubs or Org

  • 2nd place – Harper Duffy, Eleanor Bingham, Joseph Grech, & Avery Collier, Wando HS (S.C.)

Class A Feature Photography

  • 3rd place – Gwenna Bryant, Fred T Foard HS (N.C.)

Class B Feature Photography

  • 3rd place – Emmy Rains, St. Clair Co HS (Ala.)

Class A Personality Profile 

  • 1st place – Merritt Redden, Nathan Fasanaro & Olivia Potter, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable mention – Rylee Bogden, Isabelle Turner & Katie Maxon, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable Mention  – Madelynn Niles, McCallum HS (Texas)

Class A Sports Action Photography

  • 1st place – Joseph Grech, Wando HS (S.C.)
  • 3rd place – Olive Embry, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention  – Gabby Sherwood, McCallum HS (Texas)
  • Honorable Mention – Lindsey Plotkin, McCallum HS (Texas)

Class A Sports

  • 2nd place – Lauren Guest, Millie Rice, Joseph Grech, Gracie Orr, Bri Weirick, & Yesmine Alston, Wando HS (S.C.)

Class A Student Life

  • Honorable Mention – Lindsey Plotkin, McCallum HS (Texas)

Class A Student Life Photography

  • 2nd place – Sarah Browne,  Wando HS (S.C.)
  • Honorable Mention – Legare Kerrison, Wando HS (S.C.)

 

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