For immediate release

Contact:
Lauren Rochester, SPJ Awards Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 210,
lrochester@spj.org
Karen Grabowski, SPJ Communications Coordinator, 317-927-8000 ext. 215,
kgrabowski@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Region 2 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2009 calendar year. This year, the contest received over 3600 entries.

The honorees were awarded certificates on March 27 during the Region 2 SPJ Spring Conference held at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. First place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced in early May.

The winners are listed below. For additional information on the Mark of Excellence awards, please contact Awards Coordinator Lauren Rochester at 317-927-8000 ext. 210.

2009 Region 2 Winners

Four Year College/University Finalists:

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: JHU student kills intruder with sword - by Casey Prather, Towson University.
• Second Place: Danger in the Dark Accident - by Lindsay Fendt, Elon University.
• Third Place: Obama Electrifies Comcast - by Jaclyn Borowski and Vince Salamone, University of Maryland.

Editorial Cartooning
• First Place: Lauren Hagy, James Madison University.
• Second Place: Bill Lemmond, Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Feature Photography
• First Place: A reluctant advocate - by Matthew Creger, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Lupe Rocks Elon - by Angie Lovelace, Ashley Barnas, Elon University.
• Third Place: The King Waterman - by James B. Hale, University of Maryland.

General News Photography
• First Place: VCU tests H1N1 vaccine - by Mel Kobran, Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Second Place: Pride and protesting - by Jaclyn Borowski, University of Maryland.
• Third Place: Iranian poster exhibit expresses culture - by Casey Prather, Towson University.

Photo Illustration
• First Place: How to Kick a Field Goal - by David Wells, Caroline Matthews, Elon University.
• Second Place: Towson's Most Eligible - by Rachel Fauber, Towson University.
• Third Place: Not your average reality star - by Viktors Dindzans, The George Washington University.

Sports Photography
• First Place: Disaster in Durham - by Adam Fried, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: They're Back - by David Wells, Elon University.
• Third Place: Carter improves on and off court - by Lindsay Fendt, Elon University.

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: Curio, Staff, James Madison University.
• Second Place: Ink, Staff, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Third Place: No Award.*

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• First Place: From Rucksack to Backpack pp. 18-23 - by Matt Voegel and Nicole Brigagliano, James Madison University.
• Second Place: Faces of the Forgotten pp. 29-33 - by Anna Young, James Madison University.
• Third Place: The Land Beneath his Feet - by Leah Hughes, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Daily Tar Heel, Staff, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: The Diamondback, Staff, University of Maryland.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The GW Hatchet, Staff, The George Washington University.
• Second Place: The Breeze, Staff, James Madison University.
• Third Place: The Guilfordian, Staff, Guilford College.

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Suspect arrested in rape case - by Nick Rhodes, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Porn film arouses lawmaker concerns - by Allison Stice, University of Maryland.
• Third Place: Handverger argues innocence - by The Eagle, American University.

Editorial Writing
• First Place: Rachel Fauber, Towson University.
• Second Place: Morgan Little, Elon University.
• Third Place: Paul Raker, Greensboro College.

Feature Writing
• First Place: A reluctant advocate - by Marissa Lang, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Up against a wall - by Adele Hampton, University of Maryland.
• Third Place: Detained: Three days in Ethiopia - by Hadas Gold and Tamara El Waylly, The George Washington University.

General Column Writing
• First Place: "Sham"-nesty - by Justin Guiffré, The George Washington University.
• Second Place: Pound Foolish; Rights: Negative & Positive; Alec Baldwin May Take His Business Elsewhere - by Jason Yaworske, James Madison University.
• Third Place: For You, Wherever You Are; We're Not Sorry, Really; An Identity Crisis, A Drinking Problem - by Whitten Maher, James Madison University.

General News Reporting
• First Place: Police shoot 3 in city incidents - by Kyle Goon, Nick Rhodes, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Alcoholic energy drinks generate dangerous buzz - by Kate Lewanowicz, Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Third Place: JHU student kills intruder with sword - by Carrie Wood, Towson University.

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: A reluctant advocate - by Marissa Lang, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Anti-illegal immigration group draws controversy - by Tina Irgang, University of Maryland.
• Third Place: Court Records Reveal New Details on 2006 Firing - by Jonathan Walczak, University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Problem Solved; Belittling Refs Benefits No One, Especially in Intramurals; Thanks Due for Honesty; - by Tim Chapman, James Madison University.
• Second Place: On the warning track - by Carrie Wood, Towson University.
• Third Place: Senior-writis - by Samuel J. Rosenthal, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sports Writing
• First Place: Rise, Fall, Rebuild - by Dan Greene, The George Washington University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best Affiliated Web Site
• First Place: Daily Tar Heel Online, Staff, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: GW Hatchet Online Staff, The George Washington University.
• Third Place: Pendulum Online, Staff, Elon University.

Best Independent Online Student Publication
• First Place: Living Galapagos: Battle for Balance Between Man and Nature, Staff, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: Powering a Nation, UNC News 21 Staff, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Third Place: The New Voters, News 21 Staff, University of Maryland.

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Reclaiming creation - by Courtney Woo, Eileen Mignoni and Monica Ulmanu, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: Neon Lights and Jumbo Slice: The District after Dark, American Observer Staff, American University.
• Third Place: Roping the wind - by Nacho Corbella, Jenn Hueting and Monica Ulmanu, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Debating coal's future - by Sara Peach, Monica Ulmanu, Chris Carmichael and Jenn Hueting, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: Down the Lines - by Eileen Mignoni, Ashley Zammitt, Courtney Woo and Monica Ulmanu, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Third Place: The Health Debate - by Maryland Newsline, Capital News Service and CNS-TV, University of Maryland.

Online News Reporting
• First Place: Faces of the Crisis - by Nacho Corbella, Eileen Mignoni, Chris Carmichael and Zach Ferriola-Bruckenstein, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: Student Government impeachment proceedings - by The Eagle Staff, American University.
• Third Place: The Execution of the Beltway Sniper - by Capital News Service's Christopher M. Matthews and James B. Hale, CNS-TV's Evan Lambert and Maryland Newsline's Lindsay Gsell, University of Maryland.

Online Opinion & Commentary
• First Place: Morgan Little, Elon University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: Fall 2009 Sports Preview - by Pam Richter, Sam Calvert and Ashley Barnas, Elon University.
• Second Place: Being Bozeman: A coach's first year on the job, in photos - by Nick Gingold, The George Washington University.
• Third Place: Richmond beats Elon 16-13, hosts App State Saturday - by Reilly Moore, The University of Richmond.

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
• First Place: Carolina Connection, Staff, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio Feature
• First Place: Laughing Therapy - by Yasmin Amer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: Panhandler Faces Challenge - by Will Michaels, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Third Place: Ace of Cakes - by John Harvey, University of Maryland.

Radio In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Swine Flu Series - by Karen Bernstein, Charlotte Lazimi and Annie Norton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Granville Towers Renovation - by Karen Bernstein, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: Texting While Driving - by Ashley Lopez, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Third Place: R/V Dan Moore Fate in Limbo - by Michael Tomsic, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Radio Sports Reporting
No Awards.*

Best All-Around Television Newscast
• First Place: Phoenix14News - by Phoenix14News Staff, Elon University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Muhammad Execution - by Evan Lambert, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Fraternity Fire - by Laura Sanders, Washington and Lee University.
• Third Place: Money Bus - by Brittany Borghi, University of Maryland.

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: Rockville's Own Electric Car - by Chris Yu, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: Professor By Day, Guitar Maker By Night - by Chris Yu, University of Maryland.
• Third Place: Punkin Chunkin' - by Brittany Borghi, University of Maryland.

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Driven to Distraction - by Randy Gyllenhaal Drake Springer, Elon University.
• Second Place: Distracted Delegates - by Tracy Kennedy, Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Third Place: Street Bread - by India S. Diaz, University of Maryland.

Television In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Las Abuelas Series - by Bethany Tuggle, University of North Carolina.
• Second Place: Sexual Assault on campus - by Cameron Steele, Washington and Lee University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television News Photography
• First Place: Bay Watermen - by Brittany Borghi, University of Maryland.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Photography
• First Place: Franklin Street: April 6-7, 2009 - by Sam Rosenthal; Jason Kahn; Carolina Week Sports Film Crew, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: Nogueira Story - by Samuel J. Rosenthal, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Second Place: UNC Sports Highlights Fall 09 - by Nick King, Emily Hawkes and Simone Scott, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Third Place: No Award.*

*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.

-END-