2013 Mark of Excellence
National Winners and Finalists
Newspapers | Magazines | Art/Graphics | Radio | Television | Online
Click on each region's number to read a press release that contains a complete list of winners from that region.
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The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the national winners of the 2013 Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcasted during 2013.
The awards honor the best in student journalism. As such, judges were directed to choose only those entries which they felt were outstanding work worthy of a national honor. If the judges determined that none of the entries rose to the level of excellence, no award was given. Any category not listed has no winner.
School divisions are based on student enrollment, which includes both graduate and undergraduate enrollment. Schools with more than 10,000 students are designated as large schools.
National Mark of Excellence Award judges can choose up to one national winner in each category and two national finalists (runners-up).
Winners and finalists were previously recognized by receiving first-place in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition.
First-place national winners will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism 2014 conference in Nashville. Follow this link for conference information.
Newspapers
Breaking News Reporting, Large School Division
National Winner: “Giffords urges lawmakers to 'be courageous' on gun violence measures,” by Mary Shinn, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Read online— National Finalist: “ACU student killed in accident,” by Taylor Langston, Abilene Christian University
— National Finalist: “NCAA leaves door open for further sanction modifications,” by John Stuetz and John McGonigal, Pennsylvania State University
Breaking News Reporting, Small School Division
National Winner: The Search for the Boston Marathon Bombers, by The Harvard Crimson news staff, Harvard College
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
— National Finalist: “Moving forward,” by Tierra Williams, Grambling State University
— National Finalist: “Presidential candidate comes to columbia,” by staff, Columbia College Chicago
General News Reporting, Large School Division
National Winner: “How bad is it? Perspectives on campus crime,” by Kia Farhang, Nick Studenski and Bryna Godar, University of Minnesota
— National Finalist: “Back home: Hearing loss prevalent among post-9/11 vets,” by Kay Miller, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
— National Finalist: “Ohio State's private presidential search,” by Liz Young, Ohio State University
General News Reporting, Small School Division
National Winner: “Latino health, faith and education in Oklahoma City,” by Hannah Covington, Oral Roberts University
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
— National Finalist: Sexual assault debate coverage, by staff of The Occidental Weekly, Occidental College
— National Finalist: “Putting passion into practice: Teach for America remains successful despite criticism,” by Rebecca Iannucci, Elon University
In-Depth Reporting, Large School Division
National Winner: “The Heights of Fear,” by Lisa Khoury, University at Buffalo
— National Finalist: “In the Shadows: In Malawi, a stigmatized group seeks equal treatment,” by Sonali Kohli and Blaine Ohigashi, University of California, Los Angeles
— National Finalist: “Stem Cell series,” by Chelsea Henderson, Lamar University
In-Depth Reporting, Small School Division
National Winner: “RAs Technology Affected by Trustee Mandated 4 Million fund,” by Holly McClellan, Zack Anderson and Mary Miller, Cedarville University
Feature Writing, Large School Division
National Winner: “A Home and Hope,” by Millicent Smith, University of Tennessee College of Communication
— National Finalist: “Outing sexual violence disparities,” by Branden Largent, University of Minnesota
— National Finalist: “Kirkwood Father Tries To Find Meaning in Daughter's Death,” by Allison Pohle, University of Missouri-Columbia
Feature Writing, Small School Division
National Winner: “Punk Flock: Uncovering Chicago's Subculture of Eccentric Nomads,” by Emily Ornberg and Michael Fischer, Columbia College Chicago
— National Finalist: “Alumnus reports from front lines armed with paper, pen,” by Nisha Hood, Southern Utah University
— National Finalist: “Banishing the silence,” by Amy Busek, Gonzaga Bulletin, Gonzaga University
Sports Writing, Large School Division
National Winner: “107-2: Beyond the score,” by Claire Wiseman, Indiana University
— National Finalist: “Andrew Copp: Off the gridiron, onto the ice,” by Greg Garno, University of Michigan
— National Finalist: “Brothers Bernhardt,” by Aaron Kasinitz, University of Maryland, College Park
Sports Writing, Small School Division
National Winner: “Ladies first draws larger crowds,” by Macaela Bennett, Hillsdale College
— National Finalist: “A mascot rises, a goalpost falls,” by Morgan Krueger and Walker Womack, The University of Tulsa
Editorial Writing
National Winner: SGA Constitutional Editorials, by Maroon Staff, Loyola University New Orleans
— National Finalist: JD Morris, University of California Berkeley
— National Finalist: Editorial staff of The Daily, University of Washington
General Column Writing, Large School Division
National Winner: Brian Reinken, University of Minnesota
— National Finalist: Chelsea Henderson, Lamar University
— National Finalist: Zane Womeldorph, Colorado State University
General Column Writing, Small School Division
National Winner: “Accounting for Dummies,” by Bjorn Slater, Pacific Lutheran University
— National Finalist: “For the Birds,” by Diana Saverin, Yale College
— National Finalist: Taylor Shuck, Baker University
Sports Column Writing
National Winner: Alec Shirkey, University of Georgia
— National Finalist: Beau Baily, Washington State University
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
National Winner: Yale Daily News, Yale University
Download sample issues [PDF]: Issue 1 | 2
— National Finalist: The Michigan Daily, University of Michigan
— National Finalist: UCLA Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
National Winner: The Pendulum, Elon University
Download sample issues [PDF]: Issue 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: The Marquette Tribune, Marquette University
— National Finalist: The Sentinel, North Idaho College
Magazines
Best Student Magazine
National Winner: “Deeper South: Land of Plenty,” by Staff, University of Mississippi
— National Finalist: “The Bucket List,” by The Burr staff, Kent State University
— National Finalist: “The Planet Magazine Policy Issue Winter 2013,” by Ruth Ganzhorn, Becca Taylor, Al Ghandy and James Rogers, Western Washington University
Non-Fiction Magazine Article
National Winner: “A Broken Promise: Dowry Violence in India,” by Varsha Ramakrishnan, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
— National Finalist: “No easy choice: How student survivors of sexual assault manage the maze of options before them,” by Haley Goldberg, University of Michigan
— National Finalist: “No Place to Hide,” by Brett Berntsen, University of Montana School of Journalism
Art/Graphics
Breaking News Photography, Large School Division
National Winner: “Activists hang out to protest 3M,” by Ichigo Takikawa, University of Minnesota
— National Finalist: “Now that's the ticket,” by Joshua Bessex, University of Washington— National Finalist: “Charges Dropped,” by Thomas Graning, University of Mississippi
Breaking News Photography, Small School Division
National Winner: “Tornadoes hit close to campus,” by Kari Travis, Taylor University
— National Finalist: “Zero Gravity ride at Texas State Fair,” by Daniel Ethridge, TCU
— National Finalist: “Man charged with murder in double homicide,” by Whitney Baum, Southern Utah University
General News Photography, Large School Division
National Winner: “Widow of West,” by Matt Hellman, Baylor University
— National Finalist: “Same-sex marriage bills to be introduced,” by Bridget Bennett, University of Minnesota
— National Finalist: “ROTC training during spring 2013,” by Suhaib Tawil, Iowa State University
General News Photography, Small School Division
National Winner: “Homeless, under 30 and invisible,” by Sarah Williamson, Flagler College
— National Finalist: “Impact Welcomes Freshmen to Campus,” by Grant Schol, Harding University
— National Finalist: “Brownie Day,” by Rick Shipley, The University of Tulsa
Feature Photography, Large School Division
National Winner: “Revealing Voices: Portraits of the LGBT community in Malawi,” by Blaine Ohigashi, University of California, Los Angeles
— National Finalist: “The Modern Muse,” by Kelly Smith, University of Miami
— National Finalist: “Medalist,” by Justin Wan, Michigan State University
Feature Photography, Small School Division
National Winner: “Gloves on, fists up,” by Timothy P. Riethmiller and Kari Travis, Taylor University
— National Finalist: “Bittersweet, No Regrets,” by Matthew Eisenberg, Quinnipiac University
— National Finalist: “Pool Day,” by Al Drago, Elon University
Photo Illustration, Large School Division
National Winner: “Think Before You Ink!” by Vicky Valdovinos and Seth Lonborg, Central Washington University
— National Finalist: “Girl, Undocumented,” by Adam Day, Syracuse University
Photo Illustration, Small School Division
National Winner: “Breaking the bank,” by Al Drago, Elon University
— National Finalist: “Happy Trails,” by Daniel Herring and Kasey M. Orr, Laramie County Community College
— National Finalist: “This is Spring Sing,” by Grant Schol, Harding University
Sports Photography, Large School Division
National Winner: “Reliving the WAC,” by David Reid, University of Texas at Arlington
— National Finalist: “Piling On,” by Brian Smith, Kent State University
— National Finalist: “USC hands Utah first conference loss,” by Brent Uberty, University of Utah
Sports Photography, Small School Division
National Winner: “Soccer goalie,” by Andro Palting, Solano Community College
— National Finalist: “Robertson celebrates,” by David Kennedy, The University of Tulsa
— National Finalist: “Cameron Crazies,” by Al Drago, Elon University
Editorial Cartooning
National Winner: John Vestevich, Ferris State University
— National Finalist: Dan Nacu, Virginia Commonwealth University
— National Finalist: Michael Beckom, Savannah College of Art and Design
Radio
Radio News Reporting
National Winner: “North Carolina a leading state for human trafficking,” by Mark Haywood, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Radio Feature
National Winner: “Bird-cams aim to explain ‘peacocking,’” by Daniel Lane, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Radio In-Depth Reporting
National Winner: “WCRD News Special Report: Jo Ann Gora Retires,” by Cameron Ridle, Lisa Ryan, Danielle Ortiz and the WCRD News Team, Ball State University
— National Finalist: “Getting ready for rising seas in the Bay Area,” by Aaron Mendelson, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
— National Finalist: “Eyes on the Street: Seeking Justice and Pressuring Freedoms,” by Connor Ryan, Fordham University
Radio Sports Reporting
National Winner: “Football Concussions,” by Stephanie Marroquin, California State University-Northridge
— National Finalist: “Todd Thomas,” by Tim VanDuyne, Illinois State University
Best All-Around Radio Newscast
National Winner: Carolina Connection, by Louis Fernandez, James Kaminsky and Zach Mayo, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
— National Finalist: WRKC News at 5, by WRKC staff, King's College
— National Finalist: Louisiana Focus, by William R. Davie, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Television
Television Breaking News Reporting
National Winner: New Jersey Snowstorm, by Kristina Zverjako, Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
— National Finalist: “Mirror Lake Monday,” by Chelsea Spears, Ohio State University
— National Finalist: Boston Marathon bombings, by staff of BU News Service and BUTV, Boston University
Television General News Reporting
National Winner: “Cell Phone Videos and the Faces Behind the Camera,” by Omar Jimenez, Northwestern University
— National Finalist: “Hikers React to Canyon Dangers,” by Raishad Hardnett, University of Southern California
— National Finalist: “Forgotten First Responders,” by Justin Voda, University of Oklahoma
Television Feature Reporting
National Winner: “ViewFinder: Renaissance Man,” by Julia Weaver, University of Maryland
— National Finalist: “Crazy Deli,” by Jessica Paris, DePaul University
— National Finalist: “Nebraska's first male color guard member lives his dream,” by Jenna Jaynes, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Television In-Depth Reporting
National Winner: “Not Even a Number,” by Kathryn Sotolongo and Nick Swyter, University of Miami
— National Finalist: “School Shooting Safety: Act of Malpractice?” by News Staff, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
— National Finalist: “Oklahoma City University's Clery Act violations,” by Madi Alexander and Hailey Holloway, Oklahoma City University
Television Sports Reporting
National Winner: “Florence Coach,” by Robby Baker, Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
— National Finalist: “Small Wideouts with Big Results,” by Nathan Canniff-Kuhn, University of South Carolina
— National Finalist: /LSU Pitching Coach,” by Ryan Baniewicz, Louisiana State University
Television News and Feature Photography
National Winner: “ViewFinder: Larger than Life,” by Louie Dane, University of Maryland
— National Finalist: “Bellefonte Mansion,” by Caroline Goggin, Pennsylvania State University / College of Communications
— National Finalist: “Mechanics Competition,” by Stian Michalsen, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Television Sports Photography
National Winner: “WVU Gymnastics Success,” by Mike Ploger, West Virginia University
— National Finalist: “NDSU Equestrian Club,” by Stian Michalsen, Minnesota State University Moorhead
— National Finalist: “Cost of Recruiting, Part 1,” by Janelle Davis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Best All-Around Television Newscast
National Winner: Maryland Newsline, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland
— National Finalist: Brooklyn College Newscast 3, by Anthony Tart, Michael Gomez, Nikeshia Johnson and staff, Brooklyn College
— National Finalist: “Northwestern News Report: 2013 Chicago Show,” by Sharon Yoo, Allyson Byers, William Robinson-Smith and Sally Zhang, Northwestern University
Online
Online News Reporting
National Winner: “Ex-UCF Student Planned Wider Attack On Students, Officials Believe,” by Jacob Sadowsky, University of Central Florida
Read online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
— National Finalist: “Schools Out: CPS Closes 50 Chicago Schools,” by Joe Ruppel, Josclynn Brandon, Calvin Hahn and Angelica Robinson, DePaul University
Online Feature Reporting
National Winner: “Living Galapagos,” by staff, University of North Carolina
— National Finalist: “Matters of Faith,” by Vox staff, Missouri School of Journalism
— National Finalist: “The end of the Waffle House,” by Jessica Contrera, Emma Grdina and Anna Teeter, Indiana University
Online In-Depth Reporting
National Winner: “Along the Route of the Whale,” by Carol Ann Bassett (adviser) and staff, University of Oregon
— National Finalist: “Hot Spots,” by staff, The Medill Justice Project, Northwestern University
— National Finalist: “Back home: The Failures,” by News21 staff, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Online Opinion and Commentary
National Winner: Hannah Bleau, Flagler College
— National Finalist: Matthew Kovac, Northwestern University
— National Finalist: Alix Landriault, Chris Vasser and Jana King, Louisiana State University
Online Sports Reporting
National Winner: “Special report: Combatting concussions in high school sports,” by Sean Peick, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
— National Finalist: Chicago Marathon Coverage, by Chicago Sidelines Staff, DePaul University
— National Finalist: “The Other Redskins,” by Kelyn Soong, Sean Henderson and Angela Wong, University of Maryland
Best Use of Multimedia
National Winner: “Stepping Through,” by Daniel Roth, The University of Alabama
— National Finalist: “What's at Risk: Sea Level Rise in Maryland,” by Capital News Service Staff, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
— National Finalist: “Hop to Sip,” by Hannah Glennon, Hunter Thompson and Corinne Winthrop, Colorado State University
Best Affiliated Website
National Winner: MNDaily.com, Minnesota Daily, University of Minnesota
— National Finalist: Michigandaily.com, Michigan Daily, University of Michigan
— National Finalist: lsureveille.com, The Daily Reveille, Louisiana State University
Best Digital-Only Student Publication
National Winner: Vox iPad app, by Breanna Dumbacher, Missouri School of Journalism
— National Finalist: CNSMaryland.org, Capital News Service, University of Maryland
— National Finalist: The Red Line Project, DePaul University
Best Independent Online Student Publication
National Winner: NYCity News Service, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
— National Finalist: Downtown Devil, Arizona State University
— National Finalist: Grand Central Magazine, by Jessica Fecteau and staff, Central Michigan University