CONTACT:
Heather Porter, Programs Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 204
Beth King, Communications Manager, 317-927-8000 ext. 211

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 11 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2006 calendar year. This year, collegiate journalists submitted more than 3,300 entries in 39 categories across SPJ’s 12 regions.

The honorees were awarded certificates on May 5 during a luncheon held as a part of the National Writer's Workshop at California State University, Fullerton. First-place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced later this month.

For additional information on the Mark of Excellence Awards, please contact Heather Porter at 317-927-8000 ext. 204.

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

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.

2006 Region 11 Winners:

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Ryan Kost, Arizona State University, “Man finds body”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

General News Reporting
• First Place: Viridiana Pachero-Isaac, Phil Jones and Robert Moreno, Southwestern College, “A Line in the Sand”
• Second Place: Megan O’Connor, Santa Clara University, “How Safe is Your Neighborhood?”
• Third Place: Nancy Su, University of California, Los Angeles, “UC to divest from Sudan”

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Vladimir Kogan, University of California, San Diego, “Violation Exceptions Routine in Campus Food Politics”
• Second Place: Robert McDonald, California State University, Northridge, “Authenticity of Tsenj artifacts questioned”
• Third Place: Bryan Thomas, University of California, Berkeley, “Living on the Fault”

Feature Writing
• First Place: Peach Indravudh, University of California, Los Angeles, “Professor fights to save records”
• Second Place: Jason Ludwig, Arizona State University, “Remembering Eric”
• Third Place: Ophelia Young, University of California, Irvine, “Life is tough for day laborers in Laguna”

Sports Writing
• First Place: Adam de Jong, University of California, Los Angeles, “L.A.’s Rivalry, Westwood’s Revelry”
• Second Place: Adrienne Hill, San Francisco State University, “Lockett Legacy”
• Third Place: no award

Editorial Writing
• First Place: Thomas Keating, Northern Arizona University
• Second Place: Daily Bruin Editorial Board, University of California, Los Angeles
• Third Place: Amina Khan, University of California, Berkeley, “Intelligent Activism”

Editorial Cartooning
• First Place: Wes Saxton, Northern Arizona University
• Second Place: Nathan Sosa and Jennifer Allen, University of Nevada, Los Vegas
• Third Place: Alex Hoffman, University of California, Los Angeles

General Column Writing
• First Place: Katie Strickland, University of California, Los Angeles
• Second Place: David Wonpu, Santa Clara University
• Third Place: Patrice Farrell, Northern Arizona University

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Stephen Chen, University of California, Berkeley, “Cal Football Columns”
• Second Place: Roman Veytsman, University of Arizona, “Columns”
• Third Place: Thomas Keating, Northern Arizona University, “TKO”

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper (published at least 4 times per week)
• First Place: Staff, University of California, Los Angeles, “Daily Bruin”
• Second Place: Staff, University of Arizona, “Arizona Daily Wildcat”
• Third Place: Staff, San Diego State University, “The Daily Aztec”

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper (published less than 4 times per week)
• First Place: Staff, University of Nevada, Reno, “The Nevada Sagebrush”
• Second Place: Staff, Southwestern College, “Southwestern College Sun”
• Third Place: Staff, San Francisco State University, “Golden Gate [X]Press”

Magazine Non-Fiction Article
• First Place: Nicole Knight, University of La Verne, “Making a Contest a Career”
• Second Place: Matt Griffin, University of La Verne, “My Beach, My Board, My Life”
• Third Place: Nicole M. Smith, California State University, Fullerton, “The Quiet Custodian”

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: Staff, University of California, Berkeley, “Ethsix”
• Second Place: Staff, California State University, Fullerton, “Tusk Magazine”
• Third Place: Staff, University of La Verne, “La Verne Magazine”

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Joseph Hollak and Andrew Riggs, California State University, Fresno, “Shots fired near campus”
• Second Place: Erenesto Elizarraraz, California State University, Northridge, “Fire tamed in Moorpark”
• Third Place: Deanna Dent, Arizona State University, “Clinton draws hundreds to rally”

General News Photography
• First Place: Amy Martin, Northern Arizona University, “Proposed immigration laws ignite fiery protests and student walkouts”
• Second Place: Julia Robinson, San Francisco State University, “Singing Praises”
• Third Place: no award

Feature Photography•First Place: Brandon Quester, Arizona State University, “Two sisters, two lives”
• Second Place: Jeffrey Murray, Northern Arizona University, “In the Ring”
• Third Place: Jeremiah Armenta, Arizona State University, “Children of the fields”

Photo Illustration
•First Place: Mark Rojas, Southwestern College, “Double Trouble”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Sports Photography
• First Place: Russell Scoffin, Southwestern College, “Goooooal!”
• Second Place: Jake Lacey, University of Arizona, “Homecoming Magic”
• Third Place: Colleen Cummins, San Francisco State University, “Sweet Science”

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Mike Daniels, Arizona State University, “MLK Violence”
• Second Place: Michiko Howlett, Arizona State University, “Tempe Development”
• Third Place: Carrie Marchese, Arizona State University, “San Tan Girl”

Radio Feature
• First Place: Angelle Tymon, California State University, Northridge, “Dimples Karaoke Bar”
• Second Place: Erin Briscoe, California State University, Northridge, “Save the Music”
• Third Place: Michiko Howlett, Arizona State University, “Window Cleaners”

Radio In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Chantal Allan, University of Southern California, “Ethanol: The Billion-Dollar Harvest”
• Second Place: Sarah Jennings, California State University, Northridge, “Pit Bull Dangers”
• Third Place: Angela Geer, California State University, Northridge, “Second Hand Smoke”

Radio Sports Reporting
• First Place: Justin Karp, Arizona State University, “Dbacks Organist”
• Second Place: Christopher Hamilton, California State University, Northridge, “CSUN Youth Baseball Camp”
• Third Place: Laura Kennedy, Arizona State University, “Synch Swimming Team”

Radio Newscast
• First Place: KCSN-FM Staff, California State University, Northridge, “The Evening Update”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Felix Rodrigues Lima, University of Southern California, “Sierra Fire”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Ian Schwartz, Arizona State University, “Immigration March Security”
• Second Place: Sarah Jennings, California State University, Northridge, “Immigration Clash”
• Third Place: Andrea Evenson, Arizona State University, “Election Phone Spam”

Television Feature
• First Place: James Connolly, California State University, Northridge, “San Fernando Sidewalks”
• Second Place: Mystie Heckler, California State University, Northridge, “Homeless Recyclers”
• Third Place: Elias Johnson, Arizona State University, “Rosies House”

Television In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Ian Schwartz, Arizona State University, “Meth Houses”
• Second Place: Brittany Pierce, California State University, Northridge, “Leadership Vacuum”
• Third Place: Edita Gassmann, California State University, Northridge, “Teens and MySpace”

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: Elias Johnson, Arizona State University, “Special Wrestler”
• Second Place: Brandon Velaski, Arizona State University, “Talking Baseball”
• Third Place: Jeff Friedman, Arizona State University, “Eddie House”

Television News Photography
• First Place: Ian Schwartz, Arizona State University, “Papago Park Development”
• Second Place: Ian Schwartz, Arizona State University, “Immigration March Security”
• Third Place: Mike Daniels, Arizona State University, “Immigration March”

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: Sam Salzwedel, Arizona State University, “Donut Peddler”
• Second Place: Elias Johnson, Arizona State University, “Rosies House”
• Third Place: Ian Schwartz, Arizona State University, “Firetruck Repair”

Television Sports Photography
• First Place: Elias Johsnon, Arizona State University, “Special Wrestler”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Television Newscast
• First Place: Titan Channel Staff, California State University, Fullerton, “On the Edge”
• Second Place: Staff, University of Southern California, “Annenberg TV News”
• Third Place: no award

Online News Reporting
• First Place: Sonu Munshi, Arizona State University, “Hungry for Organic”
• Second Place: Stephanie Berger, Arizona State University, “BeCareful.com”
• Third Place: Mindy Lee, Arizona State University, “Business profs earn most”

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Ljiljana Ciric and Michael Lisi, Arizona State University, “Children of the Borderlands”
• Second Place: Erick Ayapana, San Francisco State University, “Second serve at life”
• Third Place: Phil de la Cruz, San Francisco State University, “Threads of time”

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: JMC 425 Online Media, Arizona State University, “Autism Arizona”
• Second Place: AZcentral.com Staff, Arizona State University, “Dying for the Story”
• Third Place: Mike Willie, San Francisco State University, “Foie Gras: Rendering the issues”

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: James Schmehl, Arizona State University, “NFL pros return to class”
• Second Place: Brian Bainum, Stephen Chen and Steven Dunst, University of California, Berkeley, “Football: Cal vs. USC”
• Third Place: no award

Online Opinion & Commentary
• First Place: Chris Sheppard, Arizona State University, “Coming home from Iraq”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

Best Affiliated Web site
• First Place: Staff, Arizona State University, “ASU Web Devil”
• Second Place: Staff, University of California, Los Angeles, “DailyBruin.com”
• Third Place: The Daily Californian Staff, University of California, Berkeley, “The Daily Clog”

Best All-Around Independent Online Student Publication
• First Place: JMC 425 Online Media, Arizona State University, “The Cronkite Zine: Fall 2006”
• Second Place: no award
• Third Place: no award

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