Contacts:
Matthew Kent, SPJ Program Coordinator, 317-920-4788, mkent@spj.org
Jennifer Royer, SPJ Director of Communications and Marketing, 317-361-4134, jroyer@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes the best collegiate journalism in Region 9 with 2018 Mark of Excellence Awards winners.

SPJ’s Region 9 comprises Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Honorees received award certificates the weekend of April 6 at the Region 9 Conference. First-place winners will compete at the national level among other regional MOE winners from the 12 SPJ regions.

National winners will be notified in the late spring and will be recognized at the Excellence in Journalism conference in San Antonio.

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.

Newspapers

Breaking News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Democrat Jenny Wilson makes campaign stop at WSU – by Harrison Epstein and Nic Muranaka, Weber State University
Finalist: Remains of missing Provo woman found in local canyon – by Kimberly Bojorquez, Utah Valley University
Finalist: Aviation adjunct professor posts anti-Muslim comments on Canvas – by McKhelyn Jones, Utah Valley University

Breaking News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Voters approve $6 million mill levy to fund Find Arts – by Courtney Walston and Josh McLees, Laramie County Community College
Finalist: Noble leaves Golden Eagles, accepts new position at Western New Mexico University – by Jenna Piper, Laramie County Community College
Finalist: Huge mistakes made by food service – by Victoria Ruiz, Colorado State University-Pueblo

General News Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Burnout leading Utah teachers away from the classroom – by Jefferson Jarvis, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Efforts to decrease air pollution ‘treading water’ despite growing links to health problems – by Jefferson Jarvis, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Bipedalism to no-pedalism/AHEC nearing licensing deals with motorized scooter companies – by Rich Allen, Metropolitan State University of Denver

General News Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 students
Winner: The differences between college bookstores – by Courtney Walston, Laramie County Community College

In-Depth Reporting (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: U track athlete killed in shooting on campus – by Emily Anderson, Elise Vandersteen Bailey and Christina Giardinelli, University of Utah
Finalist: Finding hope in a 23-year-old murder mystery – by McKayla Robinson, Brigham Young University
Finalist: ‘We needed a change’: UNM head volleyball coach contract not renewed – by Cameron Goeldner and Danielle Prokop, University of New Mexico

In-Depth Reporting (Small) 1-9,999 students
Winner: #MeToo – by Carolyn Tomanek, Courtney Walston, Christopher Edwards and Josh McLees, Laramie County Community College

Feature Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Dating app dangers: Is swiping safe? – by McKenna Park, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Jacob Weitlauf’s makeup is not a drag – by Josh Petersen, University of Utah

Feature Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: College’s longest-serving teacher recalls 41 years of students, politics – by Courtney Walston, Laramie County Community College
Finalist: Hudson Hribar is Thunderwolf football’s newest lifetime member – by James Gavato, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Finalist: Tundra, the face of CSU-Pueblo – by Melanie Mau, Colorado State University-Pueblo

General Column Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Josh Petersen, University of Utah
Finalist: Elise Scott, University of Utah
Finalist: Daryn Steed, Weber State University

General Column Writing (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Jenna Piper, Laramie County Community College

Sports Writing (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: No big bucks for athletes – by Japheth Pleasant, Weber State University
Finalist: 89,000 miles – by Jason Walker, Utah State University
Finalist: Crimson red or navy blue? – by Casey Overfield and Sammy Mora, University of Utah

Sports Column Writing
Winner: Daniel Hansen, Thomas Sorenson and Jaden Johnson, Utah State University
Finalist: James Burky, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Editorial Writing
Winner: Staff of Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Finalist: Staff of The Utah Statesman, Utah State University

Best All-Around Non Daily Student Newspaper
Winner: Wingspan – by Staff of Wingspan, Laramie County Community College
Finalist: The Metropolitan – by Staff of The Metropolitan, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: BYU Daily Universe – by Staff of BYU Daily Universe, Brigham Young University

Magazines

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
Winner: It’s all in your mindfulness – by Shaye Mullen, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Success in the right place – by Mimi Madrid Puga, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Frame within a frame – by Isaac Banks, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Best Student Magazine
Winner: The Star: Journal of Excellence – by Staff of The Star: Journal of Excellence, Community College of Denver
Finalist: The Utah Statesman – by Staff of The Utah Statesman, Utah State University
Finalist: Metrosphere – by Staff of Metrosphere, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Art/Graphics

Breaking News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Finalist: Astrid S. Tuminez announced as Utah Valley University’s first female president – by Kimberly Bojorquez, Utah Valley University

Feature Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: World War II ‘Candy Bomber’ pilot ‘Uncle Wiggly Wings’ speaks at USU – by Cameo Tamala, Utah State University
Finalist: Indefinable band marches forth – by Kaileigh Lyons, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Crowds get groovy at Grandoozy – by Nikolai Puc’, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Feature Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Tundra, the face of CSU-Pueblo – by Tracey Williams, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Finalist: South High School joins the national walkout – by Christopher Edwards, Laramie County Community College

General News Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Lauren’s team – by Kiffer Creveling, University of Utah
Finalist: Knowledge leads to empowerment at Black World Conference – by Mimi Madrid Puga, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Mass casualty scenario – by Josh Wineholt, Weber State University

Sports Photography (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Freshman quarterback – by Josh Wineholt, Weber State University
Finalist: Missy Reinstadtler on the beam – by Kiffer Creveling, University of Utah
Finalist: Roadrunners upend ThunderWolves to open conference play – by Richard Allen, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Sports Photography (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: Thunderwolves grab 100th win – by Deanna Harrison, Colorado State University-Pueblo
Finalist: NJCAA sports cover – by Will Crawford, Laramie County Community College

Photo Illustration (Large) 10,000+ Students
Winner: Breakout players for the 2018 season – by Savannah Nyre, Megan Nielsen and Matthew Halton, Utah State University
Finalist: If at first you do not succeed … - by Jolene Yazzie, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: Bipedalism to no-pedalism/AHEC nearing licensing deals with motorized scooter companies – by Ali C. M. Watkins, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Photo Illustration (Small) 1-9,999 Students
Winner: #MeToo – by Courtney Walston, Laramie County Community College

Radio

Radio Feature
Winner: A dynamic duo: Partnership between musicians and public land agencies inspires ‘Music for Nature’ – by Rhesa Ledbetter, Utah State University

Television

Television Breaking News Reporting
Winner: FBI ricin bust – by Shanie Howard, Utah State University

Television General News Reporting
Winner: Reusable bags – by Zachary Aedo, Utah State University
Finalist: Bed bugs – by Andrea Vazquez, New Mexico State University
Finalist: Hugs not walls – by Shelby Kapp, New Mexico State University

Television Feature Reporting
Winner: Keyboard artist – by Ayanna Likens, Utah State University

Television In-Depth Reporting
Finalist: Suicide series – by Hailey Hendricks, Utah State University
Finalist: Logan’s music scene challenge – by Austin Elder, Utah State University

Television Sports Reporting
Winner: Jeopardy sports – by Taylor Emerson, Utah State University

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Winner: Cache Rendezvous – by Staff of A-TV News, Utah State University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
Winner: A-TV News – by Staff of A-TV News, Utah State University
Finalist: Noticiero TVMET – by Staff of Noticiero TVMET, Metropolitan State University of Denver
Finalist: The Met Report – by Staff of The Met Report, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Online

Online News Reporting
Winner: Free press or oppressed: Why America needs the fourth estate – by Lauren Malner, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Rural Utah communities powered on coal – by Kelsie Matheson, Brigham Young University

Online Feature Reporting
Winner: ‘Tell me what’s wrong’: The journey to correctly diagnose bipolar disorder – by Jenna Crowther, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Reaching higher: A look at the nontraditional student experience – by Madalyn McRae, Brigham Young University
Finalist: Public art prospers in Parker – by Bryden Smith, Arapahoe Community College

Online In-Depth Reporting
Winner: The impact of illegal immigration: From the Mexican border to Salt Lake City – by Kaitlyn Bancroft, Riley Waldman and Jillian Argento, Brigham Young University
Finalist: The trump effect: Immigration at CU – by Jackson Barnett, Heidi Harris, Devi Chung and Kristin Oh, University of Colorado Boulder
Finalist: Use of Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin as ‘study drugs’ pervasive on campus – by Hannah Metzger, University of Colorado Boulder

Online Sports Reporting
Winner: Happy 500th, Folsom Field: A look back at the history of a great venue – by Scott MacDonald, University of Colorado Boulder
Finalist: BYU football freshmen ready for takeoff – by Caleb Turner, Brigham Young University
Finalist: The Round Up sports – by Derek E. Gonzales and James Martin, New Mexico State University

Online Opinion & Commentary
Winner: Red, right and blue – by Henry Bowditch, University of Colorado Boulder

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: CU Independent – by Staff of CU Independent, University of Colorado Boulder
Finalist: The Arapahoe Pinnacle – by Staff of The Arapahoe Pinnacle, Arapahoe Community College

Best Use of Multimedia
Winner: Colorado’s deadly gun violence, as told by its victims – by Devi Chung, University of Colorado Boulder
Finalist: The Isaiah Tafoya story – by Irving Mercado, Laramie County Community College
Finalist: Aggie royalty: A love story – by Alison Berg, Utah State University

Podcast
Winner: Free Association – by Kathryn LaBore, Utah State University

Videography

Online/Digital News Videography
Winner: A balance of two worlds – by Austin Elder, Utah State University

Online/Digital Feature Videography
Finalist: Delwyn builds – by Ethan Smith, Utah State University

Online/Digital Sports Videography
Winner: USU vs. UNI – by Kyle Jensen, Utah State University
Finalist: USU vs. UVU – by Kyle Jensen, Utah State University
Finalist: Isaiah Tafoya – by Irving Mercado, Laramie County Community College

Broadcast Feature Videography
Winner: Inland surfboard maker – by Taylor Emerson, Utah State University

Broadcast News Videography
Winner: Getting to know sophomore guard John Knight III – by Staff of The Utah Statesman, Utah State University
Finalist: USU pow wow – by Shanie Howard, Utah State University

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund, or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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