SPJ announces 2011 Region 4 Mark of Excellence Winners

Home > SPJ News > SPJ announces 2011 Region 4 Mark of Excellence Winners

3/26/2012

For immediate release
3/26/2012

Contacts:
Lauren Rochester, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210, lrochester@spj.org
Abby Henkel, SPJ Communications Manager, 317-927-8000 ext. 215, ahenkel@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 4 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2011 calendar year. The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best collegiate journalism in the U.S.

SPJ Region 4 includes Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This year, the contest received more than 4,000 entries across SPJ’s 12 regions.

The honorees were awarded certificates on March 24 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. First-place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in late April.

The winners are listed below. For additional information on the Mark of Excellence awards, please contact Awards Coordinator Lauren Rochester at lrochester@spj.org.

REGION 4 WINNERS

Four-year colleges

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Collision – by Jeff Smith, Central Michigan University
• Second Place: Osama bin Laden Mirror Lake celebration – by Tyler Joswick, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: Total Loss – by Jake May, Central Michigan University

Feature Photography
• First Place: Church restoration project – The News Record staff, University of Cincinnati
• Second Place: The kiss – by Jake May, Central Michigan University
• Third Place: To love again – by Sam Greene, University of Cincinnati

General News Photography
• First Place: Occupy – by Andrew Kuhn, Central Michigan University
• Second Place: Obama touts jobs – by The News Record staff, University of Cincinnati
• Third Place: Remembering the Upper Big Branch mine tragedy – by Marcus Constantino, Marshall University

Photo Illustration
• First Place: Is there room for student government? – by Sara Winkler and Chelsea Kleven, Central Michigan University
• Second Place: Balancing books and babies – Jason Willis, Oakland University
• Third Place: Pardon my porn – by Paige Calamari and Chelsea Kleven, Central Michigan University

Sports Photography
• First Place: Awestruck – by Josh Radtke, Michigan State University
• Second Place: Herd beats Rice – by Marcus Constantino, Marshall University
• Third Place: No award*

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: EJ Magazine, Michigan State University
• Second Place: The Burr, Kent State University
• Third Place: Fusion, Kent State University

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• First Place: In an instant: How former Kent State basketball star Malika Willoughby lost everything – by Joey Pompignano, Kent State University
• Second Place: Road to Pearl Lagoon – by Rachel Gleason, Michigan State University
• Third Place: Jake Nash: Speaking for the transgender community – by Simon Husted, Kent State University

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The State News, Michigan State University
• Second Place: The Michigan Daily, University of Michigan
• Third Place: No award*

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The News Record, University of Cincinnati
• Second Place: The BG News, Bowling Green State University
• Third Place: The Carroll News, John Carroll University

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Explosion shakes Jerusalem Restaurant – by Ariel Cheung, Anthony Orozco, Gin A. Ando and Sean Peters, University of Cincinnati
• Second Place: Faculty strike – by Theresa Clift, Annie Harrison, Ben Harris and Mike Nichols, Central Michigan University
• Third Place: Slushy, soggy campus seeps into buildings – by Dan Cooney, John Carroll University

Editorial Writing
• First Place: John Nero, Ohio University
• Second Place: The News Record staff, University of Cincinnati
• Third Place: Kay Nguyen, Oakland University

Feature Writing
• First Place: Paving the Way: Dr. Karin Muraszko reshapes the medical field as the first (and only) female chair of neurosurgery – by Stephanie Steinberg, University of Michigan
• Second Place: Glass Cases, White Spaces: A peek inside the University's public museums – by Jennifer Xu, University of Michigan
• Third Place: Capitol area bars, eateries see the sign – by Erin Mershon, Kenyon College

General Column Writing
• First Place: Andrew Dooley, Central Michigan University
• Second Place: Alex Antonetz, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: Eric Dresden, Connor Sheridan and Jake May, Central Michigan University

General News Reporting
• First Place: Sexual Assault: Pain, Recovery and Disappointment – by Lindsay McFadden, Samantha Kahle and Desmond Strooh, the University of Findlay
• Second Place: Questions abound nearly a year after security breach – by Ally Marotti, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: It won’t phase me – by Hannah Sparling, Bowling Green State University

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Domestic silence revisited – by Alex Stuckey, Ohio University
• Second Place: Campus robberies series – by Thomas Bradley, Sarah Stemen and Danielle Hyams, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: Free food is not cheap – by Mike Sandula, Oakland University

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Tim Rohan, University of Michigan
• Second Place: Cody Schuler, West Virginia University
• Third Place: Zack Meisel, The Ohio State University

Sports Writing
• First Place: Growing into the spotlight: The inconceivable rise of Shawn Hunwick – by Everett Cook, University of Michigan
• Second Place: Fighting back: Patience a necessary headache for safety – by Will Frasure, Ohio University
• Third Place: No award*

Best Affiliated Web Site
• First Place: The Lantern (TheLantern.com),The Ohio State University
• Second Place: News Record (NewsRecord.org), University of Cincinnati
• Third Place: KSU Buzz (KSUbuzz.com), Kent State University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
• First Place: Grand Central Magazine (GCMag.org), Central Michigan University
• Second Place: GreenHawks Media (GreenHawksMedia.net) – Miami University of Ohio
• Third Place: No award*

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Heart of a Champion, heart of a ‘Cat’ – by The News Record staff, University of Cincinnati
• Second Place: The silence is ‘deafening’ – by Ally Marotti, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: Rock the runway – KentWired.com staff, Kent State University

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Kent’s changing landscape: Redefining a college town – by Nathan Edwards, Kent State University
• Second Place: The silence is ‘deafening’ – by Ally Marotti, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: No award*

Online News Reporting
• First Place: Remembering 9/11 – by Jackie Smith, Adam Kaminski and Tyler Besh, Central Michigan University
• Second Place: Osama bin Laden dead, Ohio State reacts – Thomas Bradley, The Ohio State University
• Third Place: Tracking down Kent development – KentWired.com staff, Kent State University

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: Vest undressed: Tressel suspended, fined – by Zack Meisel, The Ohio State University
• Second Place: Crosstown brawl – by The News Record staff, University of Cincinnati
• Third Place: Breanne Lesnar – by Kyle Terwillegar and Bethany Walter, Central Michigan University

Editorial Cartooning
• First Place: John Vestevich, Ferris State University
• Second Place: Tim Martuch, Adrian College
• Third Place: No award*

Radio Feature Reporting
• First Place: Music collectives keep talent in Michigan – by Emily Fox, Michigan State University
• Second Place: Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition – by Jessie Shafer, Marshall University
• Third Place: Revitalizing Detroit through public art – by Emily Fox, Michigan State University

Radio In-depth Reporting
• First Place: Minding the meters: The Huntington Municipal Parking Board – by Leannda Carey, Marshall University
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Graffiti on campus – by Josie Landgrave, Marshall University
• Second Place: The new NCAA bat rule – by Aaron Payne, Marshall University
• Third Place: Landau comes home – by Marcus Constantino, Marshall University

Radio Sports Reporting
• First Place: The Cato-Shuler connection – by Leannda Carey, Marshall University
• Second Place: Vinny Curry: The art of playing with a heavy heart – by Jeremy Johnson, Marshall University
• Third Place: No award*

Best All-Around Television Newscast
• First Place: UT:10 News, University of Toledo
• Second Place: Focal Point, Michigan State University
• Third Place: WVU News, West Virginia University

Television Feature Reporting
• First Place: The volunteer deal with Meals on Wheels – by Hannah Saunders, Michigan State University
• Second Place: Synesthesia – by Erin O’Connor, Michigan State University
• Third Place: Curious Books: A success in the bookstore business – by Emily Fox, Michigan State University

Television In-depth Reporting
• First Place: Kent State sues former student for unpaid tuition – by Megan Moore-Closser, Kent State University
• Second Place: No award*
• Third Place: No award*

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Motorcycle helmet law – by Hannah Saunders, Michigan State University
• Second Place: Deer hunting – by Victoria Marzec, Michigan State University
• Third Place: Athens County residents survive on assistance – by Taylor Mirfendereski, Ohio University

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: FBI raids Toledo area IHOP restaurants– by Ashley Karsten and Mckenzie Kuehnlein, University of Toledo
• Second Place: Crain Avenue crash injures five – by Chris Lambert, Rich Pierce and Casey Braun, Kent State University
• Third Place: House explodes in Suffield Township – by Kassandra Meholick and Nathan Edwards, Kent State University

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: No shave November – by Emanuele Berry, Michigan State University
• Second Place: MSU named third fittest college in the nation – by Andrea Nelson, Michigan State University
• Third Place: Curious Books: A success in the bookstore business – by Emily Fox, Michigan State University

Television News Photography
• First Place: Deer hunting – by Victoria Marzec, Michigan State University
• Second Place: Saginaw construction – by Jessica Brown, Michigan State University
• Third Place: Gas prices – by Katie Masters, Michigan State University

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: 400th victory – Jonathan McEmber, Michigan State University
• Second Place: WVU News KP fan attendance – by Kelsey Pape, West Virginia University
• Third Place: Kent State’s bass fishing team – by Jenn Bellissimo, Kent State University

Television Sports Photography
• First Place: Haslett swim coach – by Jonathan McEmber, Michigan State University
• Second Place: UT vs. Boise State football highlights– by Ashley Karsten, University of Toledo
• Third Place: No award*

* Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in student journalism. Judges are not required to select first, second or third place winners.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

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