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 7 Mark of Excellence Award winners for the 2009 calendar year. This year, the contest received over 3600 entries.

The honorees were awarded certificates on April 10 during the Region 7 SPJ Spring Conference held at the Doubletree Omaha Downtown in Omaha, Neb. 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 7 Winners

Four Year College/University Finalists:

Photo Illustration• First Place: Morning After Survival Guide - by Darin Friedrichs, Drake University.
• Second Place: Blurred perceptions - by Rashah McChesney, Iowa State University.
• Third Place: Campus Security - by Julia Smith, Creighton University.

Best Student Magazine• First Place: Drake Magazine - by Tara Richards, editor, Drake University.
• Second Place: Trend, Staff, Iowa State University.
• Third Place: 515 Magazine - by Max Plenke, editor, Drake University.

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• First Place: Keeper of the Court (Kevin Crane) - by Chris Hamby, Missouri School of Journalism.
• Second Place: Biggest Busts - by Special issue editor Katy Steinmetz, Missouri School of Journalism.
• Third Place: Starving for Solutions - by Kayla Craig, Drake University.

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: Iowa State Daily, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: University Daily Kansan, University of Kansas.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: Creightonian, Creighton University.
• Second Place: Index, Truman State University.
• Third Place: The Baker Orange, Staff, Baker University.

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Jayhawk fights rock campus - by Daniel Johnson, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Mangino reaches settlement, resigns – by Staff, University of Kansas.
• Third Place: Deputy secretary visits, promotes students to 'Know Your Farmer' - by Bethany Pint, Iowa State University.

Editorial Writing
• First Place: Brennan Stebbins, Missouri Southern State University.
• Second Place: Kyle Peterson, Iowa State University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Feature Writing
• First Place: A fatal mistake - by Kim Norvell, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: Lifting the curse: Student shares his experience of overcoming disease, poverty - by Torey Robinson, Iowa State University.
• Third Place: Coping with grief - by Brandon Sayers, University of Kansas.

General Column Writing
• First Place: Jessica Opoien, Iowa State University.
• Second Place: Chance York, Kansas State University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

General News Reporting
• First Place: Overdrafts under review - by Daniel Johnson, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: Student recounts painful conversion therapy, abuse - by Jason Miller, Kansas State University.
• Third Place: Budget cuts burdening university programs, employees - by Jessica Opoien, Iowa State University.

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: The siren song of alcohol - by Danny Valentine, University of Iowa.
• Second Place: The health care hurt - by Aly Van Dyke, University of Kansas.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Chris Smith, Baker University.
• Second Place: Jack Nicholl, Truman State University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Sports Writing
• First Place: Arena of Dreams - by Andrew Astleford, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Sugeragent days in the past, Falk still not looking back - by Scott Miller, The University of Iowa.
• Third Place: Senior rugby player overcomes family tragedy - by Blake Toppmeyer, Truman State University.

Best Affiliated Web Site
• First Place: Kansan.com, University of Kansas.
• Second Place: www.thinkdsm.com, Drake University.
• Third Place: www.drakemagazine.com, Drake University.

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Play in a Day - by Adam Falk, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Greek vs. Independent - by Reina Murphy, Chris Smith, Kelsey Epperson and Alesha Miller, Baker University.
• Third Place: The Arbor Myth - by Rachel Dannen, Baker University.

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: E-scam nation still thriving - by Xin Feng, The University of Iowa.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: Pregame Playmakers - by Evan Bush Adam Falk Taryn Wood, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: A Season To Remember - by Kelsey Epperson, Baker University.
• Third Place: Fan at Heart - by Len Goldman Joe Bradley, University of Missouri.

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
• First Place: KBIA News, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio Feature
• First Place: Low Pork Prices Hurt Farmers - by Brandon Smith, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Saving Rural Churches - by Kyle Stokes and Jaryd Wilson, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: Church Hopes to Rebuild After Tornado - by J.P. Regan, University of Missouri.

Radio In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Life After Prison - by Lindsey Foat and Emily Coppel, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Rain Delays Harvest - by Becky Thiele, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: City Leaders Push for Teen Curfew - by Taylor Reeh, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio Sports Reporting
• First Place: Tailgaters Ride to Football Games in Style: In the ZouBus - by Brandon Spencer, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Missouri Student Has Perfect NCAA Bracket - by Shane Hoffman, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Getting To Know Alyssa Bustamante - by Alex Rozier, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: Hotel of Terror - by Philip Pulliam, Missouri State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Feature
• First Place: Hunting for Hope - by Allan Thompson, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Meth-2 - by Renee Goodwin, Missouri State University.
• Third Place: Winter Car Kit - by Kenzie Cordt, University of Kansas.


Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Cupp Chevrolet - by Kyle Stokes, University of Missouri.
• Second Place: Moving Controversy - by Kyle Stokes, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: Pool - by Kenzie Cordt, University of Kansas.

Television In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Marine Vaccination Injury - by Laura Nichols, University of Missouri - Columbia.
• Second Place: E-scam nation still thriving - by Xin Feng, The University of Iowa.
• Third Place: Status of the Stimulus - by Beth Ford, University of Missouri – Columbia.

Television Sports Photography
• First Place: Nasty Nine - by Michael Brannen, University of Missouri-Columbia.
• Second Place: Rockin' With School Spirit - by Alex Rozier, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: Fan Rumps - by Michael Kelly, University of Missouri-Columbia.
• Second Place: Coulter's Courageous Come From Behind - by Alex Rozier, University of Missouri.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Two Year College/University Finalists:

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Montage, St. Louis Community College - Meramec.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Editorial Writing
No Awards.*

Feature Writing
No Awards.*

General News Reporting
No Awards.*

Sports Writing
• First Place: Removed from the Mat - by Collin Reischman, St. Louis Community College - Meramec.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• 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.

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