Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced

Home > SPJ News > Region 9 Mark of Excellence Awards winners announced

3/30/2020

Contacts:

Matthew Kent, SPJ Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, mkent@spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 9 with 2019 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 9 comprises Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. First-place winners will compete at the national level among other regional MOE winners from the 12 SPJ regions.

Regional winners would normally be recognized at regional conferences, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Regional winners have been notified by email and will receive their award certificates via mail.

Regional winners would normally be recognized at regional conferences, however, all SPJ Regional Conferences have been either canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Regional winners have been notified by email and will receive their award certificates via mail.

National winners will be notified in the late spring.

MOE Awards entries are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience. Judges were directed to choose entries they felt were among the best in student journalism. If no entry rose to the level of excellence, no award was given. Any category not listed has no winner.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, including both graduate and undergraduate: Large schools have at least 10,000 students and small schools have 9,999 or fewer students.

The list below details all Region 9 winners. If you have any questions regarding the MOE Awards, contact Matthew Kent via email or phone at 317-920-4788.

This list reflects the spelling and titles submitted in the award entries. New MOE categories this year include Immersion Journalism, Data Visualization and Collaborative Journalism.

Newspapers

Breaking News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Students, community protest Honor Code Office on campus – by Staff, Brigham Young University
Finalist: SLC police confirm death of U student MacKenzie Lueck, charge suspect with murder – by Elise Vandersteen Bailey, Jacqueline Mumford and Ana Luiza F. Ramos, University of Utah
Finalist: BYU valedictorian comes out as gay in viral convocation speech – by Jenna Alton, Brigham Young University

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Anti-vaccination movement threatens global health – by Jenna Alton, Brigham Young University
Finalist: The perfect stranger: A cautionary tale of online dating – by Riley Waldman, Brigham Young University
Finalist: A silent campus: CSU during 9/11 – by Austin Fleskes and Ravyn Cullor, Colorado State University

In-Depth Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Is press freedom – both at home and abroad – declining under the Trump administration? – by Kaitlyn Bancroft, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Climate change means uncertain future for New Mexico chile farmers – by Leah Romero, New Mexico State University
Finalist: A student’s guide to your professor’s career, parts 1-5 – by Samantha Ye, Colorado State University

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: A haunted journey into Tivoli’s catacombs – by Brady Pieper, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: How a former BYU football player has been combining sports and sculpture for nearly 40 years – by Kaitlyn Bancroft, Brigham Young University
Finalist: The wheel deal, one man’s mission to help those in need – by Austin Fleskes, Colorado State University

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Feature with Colette Carter – by Carlos-Diego Sanchez, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Finalist: Feature with Judy Baca – by Winter Vera, Colorado State University-Pueblo

General Column Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Morgan Barron, University of Utah
Finalist: Nathan Dalley, University of Utah
Finalist: Isaac Reese, University of Utah

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: From student to the sidelines – by James Burky, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Teammates through it all: A coming out story – by Casey Overfield, University of Utah

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: The Daily Universe – by Staff of The Daily Universe, Brigham Young University
Finalist: The Signpost – by Staff of The Signpost, Weber State University

Magazines

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: Students respond: ‘When will enough be enough at CSU?’ – by Leta McWilliams and Kenia Ortiz, Colorado State University
Finalist: Putting Portugal basketball on the map – by Sydney Kidd, Utah State University

Best Student Magazine
Winner: Metrosphere – by Staff of The Metrosphere, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: College Avenue: Is your voice being heard – by Staff, Colorado State University

Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Protesting Culture Wars event – by Matt Tackett, Colorado State University
Finalist: ASCSU president reflects on his troubles – by Forrest Czarnecki, Colorado State University
Finalist:; Teacher-district standoff reaches boiling point – by Ali C.M. Watkins, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Breaking News Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Climate change striking close to home – by Alesandra C Tejeda, Colorado College

Data Visualization
Winner: Average rent prices over the years – by Zhen Tang and Madison Lauterbach, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Burky and Brady’s top 10 QBs in the NFL – by James Burky and Brady Pieper, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Editorial Cartooning
Winner: Ryan Greene editorial cartoons – by Ryan Greene, Colorado State University

Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Dark sky studies makes its debut at the U – by Kiffer Creveling, University of Utah
Finalist: Dodie’s Human Tour boasts empowerment and individualism – by Colin Shepherd, Colorado State University
Finalist: Artists putting windows in a whole new light – by Polina Sarana, Metropolitan State University of Denver

General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Twenty years later: Remembering Columbine – by Ali C.M. Watkins, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Joyful feet set the rhythm at 37th annual AISES Pow Wow – by Anna von Pechmann, Colorado State University
Finalist: Friends gather to honor murdered U student – by Kiffer Creveling, University of Utah

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: The father, the mother and the seven7 thunders – by Zhen Tang, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Football, one hundred years later – by Monika Clarke and Aubree Eckhardt, Weber State University
Finalist: Chasing champs – by Kaileigh Lyons, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Marco? Polo! – by Kiffer Creveling, University of Utah
Finalist: Pac-12 championship heartbreaker – by Justin Prather, University of Utah
Finalist: Volleyball tops Black Hills – by James Burky, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Podcast

Podcast
Winner: Boxed Out Podcast – by Matthew Perry, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: AireyBros – by Jim Airey and Rich Airey, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Radio

Radio Feature
Winner: Mother House opens pop-up shop in Boulder to help young families – by Megan Webber, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Water users on the Yampa face tighter regulations – by Alejandra Wilcox, University of Colorado, Boulder

Television

Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: Campus gas leak – by Zachary Aedo, Utah State University
Finalist: West classroom cancer concern – by Brenden Mincheff, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Antelope Island bison round-up – by Taylor Hansen, Brigham Young University
Finalist: ROTC 24-hour vigil – by Brandon Dean and Kendall Douglass, Utah State University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Bicycle Brent – by Zachary Aedo, Utah State University
Finalist: Bacteria in your water bottle – by Chris Jacobs, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Christmas tree choosing – by Austin Elder, Utah State University

Television In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Railroad impact on agriculture – by Corryn La Rue and Christy Achen, Utah State University
Finalist: Railroad impact on archaeology – by Zachary Aedo, Utah State University
Finalist: Railroad impact on Utah – by Zachary Aedo, Utah State University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: Trash car racing – by Adam Larson, Utah State University
Finalist: Street snowboarding – by McKay Jensen, Utah State University

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: The last spike – by Staff of Cache Rendezvous, Utah State University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: Newsline – by Karmen Kodia and Melissa Gibbs, Brigham Young University

Online

Online News Reporting
Winner: Students hold rally in protest of Mark Kennedy’s presidential nomination – by Carina Julig, Robert Tann, Tory Lysik and Lucy Haggard, University of Colorado
Finalist: Micromobility in Boulder: What is it? – by Anna Haynes, University of Colorado
Finalist: Inside the wild frat formal that contributed to the split between SigEp and IFC – by Tory Lysik, University of Colorado

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: Behind the scenes of affluent Boulder is the city’s working class – by Hanah Metzger, University of Colorado
Finalist: Youthful warriors – by Dylan Boxer, Arapahoe Community College
Finalist: Free speech, hate speech and an executive order – by Robert Tann, Anna Haynes and Fiona Matson, University of Colorado

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: Yellow Deli restaurant linked to organization accused of child abuse, CUI investigation finds – by Colie Dorfman, University of Colorado
Finalist: Communication is key to climate change divide – by Sevia Gonzalez and Joe Rull, University of New Mexico
Finalist: What you need to know about a ballot effort to bring wolves back to Colorado – by Alesandra C Tejeda, Colorado College

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: High impact – by Jason Truitt, Arapahoe Community College

Online Opinion & Commentary
Finalist: CU Bluffs: Students want to rename ‘sidewalk’ something more politically correct – by Alex Mumm, University of Colorado
Finalist: Opinion: Thinking green doesn’t have to make us feel blue – by Savannah Mather, University of Colorado

Best Affiliated Web Site
Winner: The Today at CSU-Pueblo – by Staff of The Today at CSU-Pueblo, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Finalist: BYU Daily Universe – by Staff of BYU Daily Universe, Brigham Young University
Finalist: The Signpost – by Staff of The Signpost, Weber State University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Winner: New Mexico News Port – by New Mexico News Port Team, University of New Mexico

Videography

Online/Digital News Videography
Winner: CSU students of color criticize administration over response to blackface photo – by Staff, Colorado State University

Online/Digital Feature Videography
Winner: Safe or Unsafe U? – by View from the U, University of Utah

Broadcast Feature Videography
Finalist: Healing on horseback – by Shae Densley, Utah State University

Broadcast News Videography
Winner: Bike park opens – by Brandon Dean, Utah State University
Finalist: Saving a granary – by Shae Densley, Utah State University

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