FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Lauren Rochester, SPJ Director of Awards, 317.927.8000 ext. 210, awards@spj.org
Christine DiGangi, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317.927.8000 ext. 205, cdigangi@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists gladly recognizes the 2012 Mark of Excellence Awards winners from Region 9. The MOE Awards honor the best of collegiate journalism from a calendar year.

SPJ’s Region 9 comprises Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of April 12 in Santa Fe, N.M. First-place winners will move on to the national MOE competition among category winners from the 12 SPJ regions.

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at Excellence in Journalism 2013 (EIJ13) in Southern California, Aug. 24 to 26. The awards are judged by professionals with at least three years of journalism experience.

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 such an 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: Large schools have more than 10,000 students, medium have 9,999 to 5,001 students, and small have fewer than 5,000 students.

See the list below for details on the Region 9 winners, and direct any MOE Awards questions to Director of Awards Lauren Rochester: awards@spj.org and 317.927.8000 ext. 210.

NEWSPAPERS
Breaking News Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Family, friends, mourn loss of Powell children” by The Universe staff, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “Student’s RamRide ends with 50 stitches” by Andrew Carrera, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University
Third Place: “Students react to missionary age change” by Crystal Myler, Sara Michael & Shawn Fielding, The Universe, Brigham Young University

Breaking News Reporting (Small)
First Place: “Student Senate denies election tampering” by Jessica Keller, Northwest Trail, Northwest College

General News Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Life elevated” by Krista Roy, The Universe, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “GRAMA request reveals missing faculty conflict-of-interest forms” by Caitlin Moffitt, Hard News Café, Utah State University
Third Place: “Utah's democracy vacation” by Charles Beacham, The Universe, Brigham Young University

General News Reporting (Small)
First Place: “Senate committee kills 80 mph legislation” by Jennifer Stogsdill, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College

In-Depth Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Fraud” by Kristian Ekenes, Stacie Carnley, Rebecca Lane & Kari Merrill, The Universe, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “The real price of tanning” by Meredith Francom & Megan Stauffer, The Universe, Brigham Young University
Third Place: “Technologically impaired, or enlightened?” by David Lake & Robin Rodgers, The Universe, Brigham Young University

Feature Writing (Large)
First Place: “Hillsboro native builds 'Vision of Life' for homeless kids in Ethiopian capital” by Mackinzie Hamilton, The Oregonian, Utah State University
Second Place: “CSU hurdler sets sights on NCAA championships, Olympic games” by Colleen Canty, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University
Third Place: “Why one CSU alum began questioning the Peace Corps” by Austin Briggs, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University

Feature Writing (Small)
First Place: “Actor aims high, pursues dreams” by Matthew Rooney, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Second Place: “When Silence Strikes” by Cheyenne Wiley, Northwest Trail, Northwest College

Sports Writing (Large)
First Place: “In Chase for Wins, a Runner Cheats, Stephen Kasica, The New York Times, University of Colorado Boulder
Second Place: “Running in Ethiopia: Olympic Dreams, Empty Pockets” by Danielle Manley, Yahoo Sports: The Post Game,Utah State University
Third Place: “A fight for funds: Club sports teams left feeling shortchanged” by Bubba Brown, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah

Sports Writing (Small)
First Place: “When Silence Strikes” by Cheyenne Wiley, Northwest Trail, Northwest College

Editorial Writing (Small)
First Place: Katie Blaser, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College

General Column Writing (Large)
First Place: Jesse Benn, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University
Second Place: Kory Wood, The Signpost, Weber State University
Third Place: Quinn Scahill, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University

General Column Writing (Small)
First Place: Will Hebert, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Second Place: Susann Robbins,Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Third Place: Shawn Havel, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College

Sports Column Writing (Large)
First Place: Nick Ohlig, Angelita Foster& Paul J. Marcely, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Second Place: Tavin Stucki, The Utah Statesman, Utah State University
Third Place: Jake Bullinger, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
First Place: The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper (Large)
First Place: The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Second Place: The Universe: Brigham Young University

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper (Small)
First Place: Wingspan, Laramie County Community College

MAGAZINE
Non-Fiction Magazine Article
First Place: “Gary Nichols: Kayaking guru paves the way for future generations” by Jake Bullinger, Wasatch Magazine, University of Utah
Second Place: “Tom Wallisch: the U student is the king of slopestyle, but he started from humble beginnings” by Jake Bullinger, Wasatch Magazine, University of Utah

Best Student Magazine
First Place: Horizon Magazine, Colorado Mesa University
Second Place: CSU-Pueblo TODAY Magazine, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Third Place: “The Claw Magazine - Issue 1,” University of Northern Colorado

ART/GRAPHICS
Breaking News Photography (Large)
First Place: “He's Back” by Dylan Langille, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University
Second Place: “Hope after tragedy” by Ryan Borthick, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Third Place: “Candlelight vigil brings tragedy-stricken community together” by Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Breaking News Photography (Small)
First Place: “Hands on reporting” by Alicia Hurley, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College

General News Photography (Large)
First Place: “Blood drive rivalry ends” by Jonathan Royce, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah
Second Place: “Ceremony honors vets of all ages” by Erin Burns, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah
Third Place: “Denver debate kicks off election home stretch” by Brian T. McGinn, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Feature Photography (Large)
First Place: “Tivoli goes wild with Jack Hanna” by Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Second Place: “Day of Dead takes on many faces” by Jessica Cuneo & Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Third Place: “Hair heats up the state at Eugenia Rawls Courtyard Theater” by Melanie J. Rice, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Feature Photography (Small)
First Place: “Fire eater” by Nikayla Cooper, Northwest Trail, Northwest College
Second Place: “Quirky and comical” by Will Hebert & Josh Kimmel, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Third Place: “When Silence Strikes” by Russell James, Northwest Trail, Northwest College

Photo Illustration (Large)
First Place: “The ominous quest for a thousand yards” by Brad Davis, The Universe, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “Adventures of the ride board” by Sarah Hill, The Universe, Brigham Young University
Third Place: “Behind the Fabric” by Hunter Thompson, The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Colorado State University

Photo Illustration (Small)
First Place: “Movember mustache” by Tim Bahr & Dylan Miller, Northwest Trail, Northwest College
Second Place: “Chute-out” by Will Hebert & Bruce Enever, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Third Place: “Something New Brewing at NWC” by Russell James, Tim Bahr & Dylan Miller, Northwest Trail, Northwest College

Sports Photography (Large)
First Place: “Utes shutout Bears, 41-0” by Chad Zavala, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah
Second Place: “First home meet in 30 years” by Christopher Reeves, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah
Third Place: “Women's soccer sweeps Labor Day games” by Jessica Cuneo, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Sports Photography (Small)
First Place: “Steer Wrestling” by Shaelie Palmer, Northwest Trail, Northwest College
Second Place: “Charging ahead” by Shawn Havel, Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Third Place: “When Silence Strikes” by Russell James, Northwest Trail, Northwest College

Editorial Cartooning (Large)
First Place: Jorge Perez Garcia, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver

RADIO
Radio News Reporting
First Place: “Bicycle Brent” by Brianna Bodily, Utah Public Radio,Utah State University
Second Place: “Water Dispute at Oneida Narrows” by Brianna Bodily, Utah Public Radio, Utah State University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
First Place: “Marijuana in Colorado” by Hannah Leigh Myers, KGNU, University of Colorado, Boulder

Radio Feature
First Place: “Coyotes Fascinate, Puzzle Researchers in Utah” by Ryan Cunningham, Utah Public Radio (KUSU), Utah State University
Second Place: “Porcupine Music Festival - Hairy, Friendly People in Northern Utah” by Mackinzie Hamilton, Utah Public Radio, Utah State University
Third Place: “Kids with Williams Syndrome are Pretty Tight, According to Friends and Researchers” by Mackinzie Hamilton, Utah Public Radio, Utah State University

Radio Sports Reporting
First Place: “Coach Clark Show” by Justin Taylor, KMet Radio, Metropolitan State University of Denver

TELEVISION
Television General News Reporting
First Place: “Trampoline Park Dangers” by Alexis Flake, ElevenNEWS/KBYU, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “USU Eastern Enrollment” by Kelton Wells, A-TV News, Utah State University

Television In-Depth Reporting
First Place: “The Needle Exchange: Helpful or Harmful?” by Simone DeAlba, The Met Report, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Second Place: “A Parent's Hard Choice” by Katie Bieri, News22, New Mexico State University

Television Feature Reporting
First Place: “Sushi Challenge” by Alexis Flake, ElevenNEWS/KBYU, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “Media Fast” by Matt Rascon, ElevenNEWS/KBYU, Brigham Young University
Third Place: “Real-life Friending” by Julianne Horsley, ElevenNEWS/KBYU, Brigham Young University

Television Sports Reporting
First Place: “Ultimate Thrill” by Britanni Good, CoogTube/KBYU, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “Minor Threat Roller Derby” by Stephanie Flores, “KRWG News22, New Mexico State University
Third Place: “Mom On and Off the Court” by Jake Edmonds, CoogTube/KBYU, Brigham Young University

Television Feature Photography
First Place: “QR-Code Headstones” by Brenna Donnelly, ElevenNEWS/KBYU, Brigham Young University
Second Place: “Zombies invade downtown” by Staff, The Met Report, Metropolitan, State University of Denver

Television Sports Photography
First Place: “MSU Denver soccer team buries Colorado Mines” by Kevin Hall & Kellan Stone, The Met Report, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Best All-Around Television Newscast
First Place: ElevenNEWS at Noon, Brigham Young University
Second Place: The Met Report, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Third Place: KRWG News22, New Mexico State University

ONLINE
Online News Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Converting algae to biofuel with solar power? USU’s almost there” by Steve Kent, Hard News Café, Utah State University

Online News Reporting (Medium)
First Place: “SUU investigating plagiarism complaints” by Whitney Baum, SUU News, Southern Utah University

Online Feature Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Buddhist Monk Urges Awareness, Understanding Amid Political Tension in Tibet” by Ryan Cunningham & April Ashland, Utah Public Radio (upr.org), Utah State University
Second Place: “Liz Emery: The polarizing Statesman columnist discusses her life's course” by Rhett Wilkinson, Aggie BluePrint, Utah State University
Third Place: “Up Close at the 2012 Utah Legislature: An Intern’s Perspective” by Lis Stewart, Hard News Café, Utah State University

Online In-Depth Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Commencement 2012: Aggies have less debt than national average” by Kristi Ottley, Hard News Café, Utah State University
Second Place: “Decision nears on proposed Oneida Narrows dam, but fight not over yet” by Allie Jeppson, Hard News Café, Utah State University
Third Place: “Out of obscurity and out of darkness “ by Rhett Wilkinson , Meridian Magazine , Utah State University

Online In-Depth Reporting (Small)
First Place: “Search for new vice president of academic affairs” by Susann Robbins, Katie Blaser, Aaron Boyd & Cassie Kelley, Wingspan Online, Laramie County Community College
Second Place: “Search for new vice president of student services” by Susann Robbins, Wingspan Online, Laramie County Community College

Online Sports Reporting (Large)
First Place: “Actually, Andersen didn't know that he was leaving Logan” by Rhett Wilkinson, Aggie BluePrint Utah State University
Second Place: “Barnes reveals more about USU's Mountain West Conference status” by Rhett Wilkinson, Aggie BluePrint, Utah State University

Online Sports Reporting (Medium)
First Place: “Madison Wood: SUU soccer player with a mission” by Carter Williams, SUU News, Southern Utah University
Second Place: “A magical ending for Brinkman's career (and cashing in on a bet)” by Carter Williamsm, SUU News, Southern Utah University

Online Opinion & Commentary (Large)
First Place: “The Laughing Heart” by Joe Deras, The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Best Affiliated Web Site (Large)
First Place: wsusignpost.com, The Signpost, Weber State University

Best Affiliated Web Site (Medium)
First Place: SUUNews.com, SUU News, Southern Utah University

Best Independent Online Student Publication (Large)
First Place: The Hard News Café, Utah State University

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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