2011 Mark of Excellence
National Winners and Finalists

Newspapers | Magazines | Art/Graphics | Radio | Television | Online

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The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the national winners of the 2011 Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcasted during 2011. This year student journalists submitted more than 4,000 entries.

National Mark of Excellence Award judges choose 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 2012 conference Sept. 20-22 in Fort Lauderdale. Click here for conference information.

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Newspapers

Breaking News Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “Students, residents feel tornado's effects,” by Taylor Holland, Jonathan Reed, Kelsey Stein, Hannah Mask, University of Alabama
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
— National Finalist: “Sandusky charged with sex abuse,” by Anna Orso, Pennsylvania State University
— National Finalist: “SA president resigns amid scandal,” by John Parnon, Zach Brooke, UW Milwaukee

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Breaking News Reporting, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “Senate: Armed service does not count as community service,” by Jessica Keller, Northwest College
Download article [PDF, 11.8 MB]

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General News Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “For those ‘killed’ by Social Security Administration error, life's hard,” by Samantha Bryson, University of California, Berkeley
Read Story Online
— National Finalist: “Small-town residents saddened by prospect of post offices closing,” by Sarah Hoffman, University of Missouri
— National Finalist: Kerksick Series, by Kathleen Evans, University of Oklahoma

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General News Reporting, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “Teacher resigns,” by Bethany Peterson, Tarrant County College
Download article [PDF, 6.3 MB]
— National Finalist: “Tuition Rises for Fall 2012 Semester,” by Rebecca Gross, SUNY Rockland Community College
— National Finalist: Two articles about Idaho gun bill, by Tala Wood, North Idaho College

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In-Depth Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “A Series on Sexuality,” by Precious Esie, Carl Harrison, Leslie Gamboni, Jamie Futral, Loyola University New Orleans
Read Story Online
— National Finalist: “Salmonella Investigation,” by Jeffrey Benzing, Esther French and Judah Ari Gross, University of Maryland
— National Finalist: “Domestic Silence Revisted,” by Alex Stuckey, Ohio University

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In-Depth Reporting, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “Student mothers embrace heavy load,” by Deborah Cobb, Northwest College
Download section [PDF, 21.7 PDF]
— National Finalist: “Investigation Into EducoSoft,” by Emanuel Bergmann, Tanya Flowers, Thomas Pumphrey, Kalifia Madden, Los Angeles City College
— National Finalist: “Prescription Drug Abuse,” by Daniela Rocha, Mercer County Community College

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Feature Writing, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “The girl I killed,” by Billie Loewen, University of Montana
Read Story Online
— National Finalist: “Back from Libya,” by Devin Kelly, The University of California, Los Angeles
— National Finalist: “Citizens for Justice,” by Brad Racino, University of Missouri—Columbia

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Feature Writing, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “Leaving Las Vegas,” by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
Download article [PDF, 2.7 MB]
— National Finalist: “Student survives,” by Karen Gavis, Tarrant County College
— National Finalist: “Soccer star Irene Calabria learned to play with the boys,” by Stephen Harrison, Mercer County Community College

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Sports Writing, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “Knile Davis: Strength to Carry On,” by Jimmy Carter, University of Arkansas
Read Story Online
— National Finalist: “Growing Into the Spotlight: The inconceivable rise of Shawn Hunwick,” by Everett Cook, University of Michigan
— National Finalist: “Former walk-on waits for chance,” by Zach Dillard, University of Georgia

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Sports Writing, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “An Athletic Dilemma: Cost versus Accountability,” by Kurt Oberreither, Spencer Gleason, St. Louis Community College-Meramec
Download section [PDF, 3.4 MB]
— National Finalist: “Runaway Train,” by Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
— National Finalist: “Winning the race of her life,” by Albert Fulcher Ernesto Rivera Serina Duarte, Southwestern College

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Editorial Writing, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: Lexi Belculfine and Jourdan Cole, Pennsylvania State University
Download articles [PDF, 1.1 MB]
— National Finalist: Tray Smith, University of Alabama
— National Finalist: John Nero, Ohio University

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Editorial Writing, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: Hyun Chung, Los Angeles City College
Download sample page [PDF, 4 MB]
— National Finalist: Nick Davison, College of DuPage

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General Column Writing, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: Christopher Haxel, The University of Maryland
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: Imani Jackson, Grambling State University
— National Finalist: Kory Wood, Weber State University

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General Column Writing, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: Albert H. Fulcher, Southwestern College
Download columns [PDF, 5 MB]
— National Finalist: Alyson Ann Cina, Bergen Community College
— National Finalist: William Hebert, Laramie County Community College

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Sports Column Writing, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: Trey Scott, University of Texas at Austin
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: Jeremy Schneider, The University of Maryland
— National Finalist: Jesse Severson, Oregon State University

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Sports Column Writing, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: Cody Tucker, Laramie County Community College
Download section [PDF, 12 MB]
— National Finalist: Drew Williams, Eric Poe and Marley Malenfant, Tarrant County College

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Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
National Winner: The Daily Orange, Syracuse University
View Issues Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: The University Star, Texas State University
— National Finalist: The State News, Michigan State University

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Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: The Ithacan, Ithaca College
— National Finalist: The GW Hatchet, George Washington University

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Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: The Sun, Southwestern College
— National Finalist: The Sentinel, North Idaho College
— National Finalist: The Ranger, San Antonio College

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Magazines

Best Student Magazine
National Winner: Brink Magazine, University of California, Berkeley
View Online Edition
— National Finalist: Curb Magazine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
— National Finalist: 30 Under 30, University of Missouri

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Non-Fiction Magazine Article
National Winner: “The Secret Life of Mules,” by Eric Holmberg, Caitie Carter and Mike Jenner, University of Missouri
Download section [PDF, 25.5 MB]
— National Finalist: “Fear and Ammo in a Texas Suburb,” by Spike Johnson, University of North Texas
— National Finalist: “In an Instant: How Former Kent State Basketball Star Malika Willoughby Lost Everything,” by Joey Pompignano, Kent State University

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Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography, Four-Year College/University

National Winner: “CSU students arrested in protest,” by Stefan Agregado, Cal State Long Beach
— National Finalist: “Gunshot,” by Nick Gast, The University of Montana
— National Finalist: “Bash gone bad,” by Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University

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Breaking News Photography, Two-Year College/Community College
“The walking dead,” by William Hebert, Laramie County Community College
Download section [PDF, 7.1 MB]

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General News Photography, Four-Year College/University

National Winner: “Denver Shows its Pride in Style,” by Rachel Fuenzalida, Metropolitan State College of Denver
— National Finalist: “Occupy,” by Andrew Kuhn, Central Michigan University
— National Finalist: “National Go Topless Day,” by Michelle Rattinger, George Washington University

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General News Photography, Two-Year College/Community College

National Winner: “Japan festival,” by Hannah Hunsinger and Aaron Wagner, Johnson County Community College
Download section [PDF, 6.4 MB]
— National Finalist: “Restaurant 230,” by Jason Pomerantz, Mercer County Community College
— National Finalist: “Occupy Spokane,” by Gabe Green, North Idaho College

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Feature Photography, Four-Year College/University

National Winner: “Fenced In: Superfund Refugees,” by Henry Taksier, University of Florida
See more photos online
— National Finalist: “Games fuse athletics, services,” by Richard Payson, University of Utah
— National Finalist: “Cosmopolitan Cowboy,” by Jordan Stead, Western Washington University

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Feature Photography, Two-Year College/Community College

National Winner: “Lucha Vavoom,” by Michael Yanow, Santa Monica College
Download section [PDF, 9 MB]
— National Finalist: “Homemade Halloween,” by Michael House, Johnson County Community College
— National Finalist: “Parkour,” by Catherine Mullaney, North Idaho College

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Photo Illustration, Four-Year College/University

National Winner: “Caitlan Stem,” by Hunter Thompson, Colorado State University
— National Finalist: “Surviving suicide,” by Daniel Ethridge, Texas Christian University
— National Finalist: “Smashing Good Time,” by Jordan Stead, Western Washington University

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Photo Illustration, Two-Year College/Community College

National Winner: “Adderall,” Casey Holder, Tarrant County College
— National Finalist: “In Focus: National Depression Awareness Month,” by Hannah Hunsinger, Johnson County Community College
— National Finalist: “Arbor Vitae,” by Chris Johnson, College of DuPage

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Sports Photography, Four-Year College/University

National Winner: “Awestruck,” by Josh Radtke, Michigan State University
— National Finalist: “Coach celebrates victory,” by Matt Kile, Missouri State University
— National Finalist: “Rolled over,” by Ramon Dompor, Rutgers University

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Sports Photography, Two-Year College/Community College

National Winner: “Rail Jam Wipeout,” by Derek Oldham, Central Oregon Community College
Download section [PDF, 1.6 MB]
— National Finalist: “SE flag football,” by David Reid, Tarrant County College
— National Finalist: “Shrugged Off,” by Kat Boehle, Joliet Junior College

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Editorial Cartooning, Four-Year College/University

National Winner: John Vestevich, Ferris State University
— National Finalist: Dan Nacu, Virginia Commonwealth University
— National Finalist: Colin Tom, University of Georgia

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Editorial Cartooning, Two-Year College/Community College

National Winner: Phillip Temple, Solano Community College
— National Finalist: Tobey Veenstra, Central Oregon Community College

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Radio

Radio News Reporting

National Winner: “Execution of Manuel Valle,” by Steven Gallo, University of Florida
— National Finalist: “Wildfire Rebuilding,” by Reshma Kirpalani, University of Texas at Austin
— National Finalist: “Occupy LA coverage,” by Kyle Tabuena-Frolli, University of Southern California

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Radio Feature

National Winner: “Who needs a guitar to be a rock star?” by Christopher Connelly, University of California, Berkeley
— National Finalist: “Students’ 9/11 memories,” by Michael Tomsic and Alletta Cooper, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Radio In-Depth Reporting

National Winner: “Kentucky Ag Heavily Dependent On Migrant Labor,” by Cassidy Herrington, University of Kentucky
— National Finalist: “Minding the Meters: The Huntington Municipal Parking Board,” by Leannda Carey, Marshall University
— National Finalist: “The War on Drugs,” by Christopher Connelly, University of California, Berkeley

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Radio Sports Reporting

National Winner: “Oh and One,” by Paul Ofcharsky, King's College
— National Finalist: “The Cato-Shuler Connection,” by Leannda Carey, Marshall University
— National Finalist: “WFTDA Roller Derby,” by Rebecca Fensholt, University of Kansas

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Best All-Around Radio Newscast

National Winner: “Louisiana Focus,” by Bill Davie, Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette
— National Finalist: “Carolina Connection,” by Alletta Cooper; Michael Tomsic; Rheema Khrais; Lydia Wilson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
— National Finalist: “Annenberg Radio News,” by Staff of Annenberg Radio News, University of Southern California

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Television

Television Breaking News Reporting

National Winner: “Tuscaloosa Tornado,” by Bradley Whittington, University of Alabama
— National Finalist: “ACU bus wrecks while traveling to service project,” by Farron Salley, Abilene Christian University
— National Finalist: “Tornado Thrashes Shaw,” by David Hodges, Elon University

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Television General News Reporting

National Winner: “Oil Spill,” by Gabe Giffin, Louisiana State University
— National Finalist: “Broadcast: The Social Host Project: An In Depth Look at Long Island's Social Host Law,” by Lauren Cioffi, Stony Brook University
— National Finalist: “American Border Patrol,” by Kylee Gauna, Arizona State University

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Television Feature Reporting

National Winner: “Leah Green Thumb: Student artist gardens on the go,” by Caitlin Bradford, Abilene Christian University
— National Finalist: “Mock Disaster Make-up,” by Jenne Anderson, Brigham Young University
— National Finalist: “Crescent City,” by Hunter Holcombe, Christopher Connelly, University of California, Berkeley

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Television In-Depth Reporting

National Winner: “Ka Nako,” by Wandoo Makurdi, Florida A&M University
— National Finalist: “Budget Battle,” by UWM PantherVision news staff, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
— National Finalist: “The Price of Parking,” by Brian Johnson, University of Missouri-Columbia

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Television Sports Reporting

National Winner: “Striking Chords,” by Jonah Javad, University of Missouri-Columbia
— National Finalist: “Iconic Fans,” by Mo Isom, Louisiana State University
— National Finalist: “Cost of Bowls,” by Justin Page, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Television News Photography

National Winner: “Volunteers Send Care Packages to Marines,” by Emily Spain, University of Missouri-Columbia
— National Finalist: “A Line In The Sand: The Story of Two Volunteers on the U.S.- Mexico Border,” by Dan Neligh, Arizona State University
— National Finalist: “Deer Hunting,” by Victoria Marzec, Michigan State University

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Television Feature Photography

National Winner: “Pumpkins Fly Through The Air At Punkin' Chunkin' Contest,” by Bernie Riggs, Emily Foster, University of Montana
— National Finalist: “Outdoor Movie Theater,” by Justin Page, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
— National Finalist: “Day and night, Santa Monica pier lights up lives of visitors,” by Daily Bruin, The University of California, Los Angeles

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Television Sports Photography

National Winner: “2nd Annual Treasure State Shred Fest,” by Maegan Simmons, University of Montana
— National Finalist: “SEC Championship Game,” by Troy Gaulden, Louisiana State University
— National Finalist: “Haslett Swim Coach,” by Jonathan McEmber, Michigan State University

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Best All-Around Television Newscast
National Winner: Cronkite NewsWatch, Arizona State University
View newscast: Link 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: The Centre County Report, The Pennsylvania State University
— National Finalist: UWM PantherVision, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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Online

Online News Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “Student Veterans,” by Ileana Llorens, Kristin Kellogg and Rhonda Prast, University of Missouri
Visit website [opens in new window]
— National Finalist: “24 hours at the border reveals region that defies stereotypes,” by Cronkite News Staff, Arizona State University
— National Finalist: “Remembering 9/11,” by Jackie Smith, Adam Kaminski and Tyler Besh, Central Michigan University

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Online News Reporting, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “Schaffer named as next college president,” by Will Hebert, Jeffrey Pallak, Courtney Tray and Amy Walker, Laramie County Community College
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: “Occupy Sacramento,” by L.T. Clayton, Sacramento City College
— National Finalist: “Coppola, Jordan named presidential finalists,” by Bethany Peterson, Tarrant County College

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Online Feature Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “Salmonella Lurks from Farm to Fork,” by Jeffrey Benzing, Esther French, Judah Ari Gross and Robyne McCullough, News21, University of Maryland & Arizona State University
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
— National Finalist: “In the Action,” by Sam Aune, Nick Ritenour, Jared Windler and Valerie Carnevale, Ball State University
— National Finalist: “Lessons from the Land: An Organic Farm Teaches By Example,” by Sarah Cumming, Sewanee: The University of the South

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Online In-Depth Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “How safe is your food?” by News21 Staff, Arizona State University & University of Maryland
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
— National Finalist: “Kent's Changing Landscape: Redefining a College Town,” by Nathan Edwards, Kent State University

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Online In-Depth Reporting, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: “LCCC’s master plan,” by Will Hebert, Jeffrey Pallak, Susann Robbins, Katie Blaser, Laramie County Community College
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3

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Online Opinion and Commentary, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: Vaughn Hillyard, Arizona State University
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3
— National Finalist: Alex Klein, Yale University
— National Finalist: David Fink, Editorial Board, Texas State University

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Online Sports Reporting, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: “Wildcat basketball preview 2011-2012,” by North By Northwestern staff, Northwestern University
Read Online: Link 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
— National Finalist: “Injured seniors provide leadership to SUU gymnastics team,” by Carter Williams, Southern Utah University
— National Finalist: “BU Wrestling,” by Reina Murphy and Marlee Johnson, Baker University

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Best Affiliated Website, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: Mndaily.com, University of Minnesota
Visit website [opens in new window]
— National Finalist: iowastatedaily.com, Iowa State University
— National Finalist: TheLantern.com, The Ohio State University

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Best Affiliated Website, Two-Year College/Community College
National Winner: The Southwestern College Sun Online, Southwestern College
Visit website [opens in new window]
— National Finalist: The Collegian Online, Tarrant County College
— National Finalist: prospectusnews.com, Parkland College

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Best Independent Online Student Publication, Four-Year College/University
National Winner: Howard University News Service, Howard University
Visit website [opens in new window]
— National Finalist: Downtown Devil, Arizona State University
— National Finalist: Philadelphia Neighborhoods, Temple University

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