SPJ Region 12 includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. This year, the contest received more than 4,000 entries across SPJs 12 regions.
The honorees were awarded certificates on date during the Region 12 SPJ Spring Conference held at the Crowne Plaza in Lafayette, La. 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 12 WINNERS
Four-year colleges
Feature Photography First Place: Back to school by Gareth Patterson, University of Arkansas Second Place: Amy Grant by Whitney Jarreld, Lipscomb University Third Place: Round and round they go by Chaney Mitchell, Harding University
General News Photography First Place: Jazz Festival weekend by Chris Leh, Louisiana State University Second Place: Warped Tour by Allyce Andrew, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Third Place: High fashion by Emily Slack, Louisiana State University
Photo Illustration First Place: Knile Davis: Strength to carry on by Gareth Patterson and Erik Northfell, University of Arkansas Second Place: The man behind the name, the year that everything changed by Gareth Patterson and Erik Northfell, University of Arkansas Third Place: No award*
Sports Photography First Place: Winning smiles by Brianna Paciorka, Louisiana State University Second Place: Swamp Bowl IV gets down and dirty by Rande Robinson, Southeastern Louisiana University Third Place: Lions soundly defeat Savannah State in first home game, 63-6 by Tony Romian, Southeastern Louisiana University
Editorial Cartooning First Place: Landis Anderson, Grambling State University Second Place: No award* Third Place: No award*
Non-Fiction Magazine Article First Place: Sherri's world by Jason Torrente, University of Arkansas Second Place: Raw talent by Brianna Piche, Louisiana State University Third Place: No award*
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper First Place: The Daily Reveille, Louisiana State University Second Place: The Daily Helmsman, University of Memphis Third Place: The Arkansas Traveler, University of Arkansas
Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper First Place: The Tech Talk, Louisiana Tech University Second Place: The Gramblinite, Grambling State University Third Place: The Loyola Maroon, Loyola University New Orleans
Breaking News Reporting First Place: Razorback football player dies by Jimmy Carter, University of Arkansas Second Place: Friends of Paul Warren reflect on life, legacy by Hunter Patterson and Emily Snell, Lipscomb University Third Place: Grad student alleges sexual abuse by Vet School staff member by Brian Sebille, Louisiana State University
Editorial Writing First Place: Daily Reveille Editorial Staff, Louisiana State University Second Place: Jordain Carney, Saba Naseem and Mattie Quinn, University of Arkansas Third Place: No award*
Feature Writing First Place: Students frighten patrons at 13th Gate Haunted House by Joey Groner, Louisiana State University Second Place: Baking power by Elizabeth Rose, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Third Place: New Park Lane boutique to open near River Ranch by Tiffany Segura, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
General Column Writing First Place: Imani Jackson, Grambling State University Second Place: Parker Cramer, Louisiana State University Third Place: Saba Naseem, University of Arkansas
General News Reporting First Place: Making sense of program cuts by Patrick Boyd, Louisiana Tech University Second Place: Loyola tenured faculty stabilize at 75 percent by Masako Hirsch, Loyola University New Orleans Third Place: Missing $85,000; Investigation probes UL parking staffer by Elizabeth Rose, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
In-Depth Reporting First Place: Series on sexuality by Precious Esie, Carl Harrison, Leslie Gamboni and Jamie Futral, Loyola University New Orleans Second Place: Breast Cancer 101 by Kristen Fox, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Third Place: Students, professors reflect on first-hand experiences of terrorist attack by Clayton Crockett, Louisiana State University
Sports Column Writing First Place: Anna Claire Thomas, Louisiana Tech University Second Place: Marshall Hughes, Harding University Third Place: No award*
Sports Writing First Place: Knile Davis: Strength to carry on by Jimmy Carter, University of Arkansas Second Place: Defensive end Sam Montgomery holds on to his brother's memory by Mark Clement, Louisiana State University Third Place: Lifelong fighter finds success in kickboxing by Camara Thomas, Loyola University New Orleans
Best Independent Online Student Publication First Place: The Fountain (www.myfountainonline.com), University of Central Arkansas Second Place: No award* Third Place: No award*
Online Feature Reporting First Place: Lessons from the land: An organic farm teaches by example by Sarah Cumming, Sewanee Second Place: Grief centers help children cope with loss by Emily Snell, Lipscomb University Third Place: Packed pound: overcrowded Fayetteville Animal Shelter anticipates new policy by Brady Tackett, University of Arkansas
Online Sports Reporting First Place: Staal becomes model after hanging up jersey by Ashlan Williams, Lipscomb University Second Place: No award* Third Place: No award*
Best All-Around Radio Newscast First Place: Louisiana Focus, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Second Place: No award* Third Place: No award*
Radio Feature Reporting First Place: A rural road to recovery by Michelle N. La Vone, University of Tennessee Second Place: The negative effects of texting by Kelli Volk, Tennessee State University Third Place: Roemer obstacles by Nicholas Monteleone, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Radio In-depth Reporting First Place: Game over: Sports injuries & the college athlete by Khadijah Williams, Tennessee State University Second Place: Anti-Cash Bill by Nicholas Monteleone, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Third Place: Master plan by Zane Hill, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Radio Sports Reporting First Place: WTST sports report by Khadijah Williams, Tennessee State University Second Place: Radio sportscast by Brian Sahlin, Tennessee State University Third Place: No award*
Best All-Around Television Newscast First Place: Tiger Television by Louisiana State University Second Place: Northshore News by Southeastern Louisiana University Third Place: No award*
Television Feature Reporting First Place: Twitters birthday by Scott Cardinale, Southeastern Louisiana University Second Place: UATV looking back by Judy Luna and Tony Cosgrove, University of Arkansas Third Place: Arkansas Canoe Club president Tom Burroughs by Tony Cosgrove, University of Arkansas
Television General News Reporting First Place: Oil spill by Gabe Giffen, Louisiana State University Second Place: Joplin tornado by Dylan Roberts, University of Arkansas Third Place: Faces Lab by Troy Gaulden, Louisiana State University
Television Breaking News Reporting First Place: Occupy Little Rock by Raven Ambers, University of Central Arkansas Second Place: Jordan Jefferson by Matt McCain, Ryan Brumley and Sarah Plumb, Louisiana State University Third Place: No award*
Television Feature Photography First Place: Arkansas Canoe Club president Tom Burroughs by Tony Cosgrove, University of Arkansas Second Place: BBQ Competition: UATV follows Team Panhead by Tony Cosgrove, University of Arkansas Third Place: No award*
Television News Photography First Place: Church expansion troubles by Nick Elliott and Rachel Eastridge, Southeastern Louisiana University Second Place: No award* Third Place: No award*
Television Sports Reporting First Place: Iconic fans by Mo Isom, Louisiana State University Second Place: Jonathan Pace by Trey Mongrue, Southeastern Louisiana University Third Place: Obstacles unherd: Caleb Inman by Marshall Hughes and Amy Mare, Harding University
Television Sports Photography First Place: SEC championship game by Troy Gaulden, Louisiana State University Second Place: Adonson Shallow by Hunter Robinson, Southeastern Louisiana University 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.
