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

The honorees were awarded certificates on May 1 during the Region 11 SPJ Spring Conference held at the University of San Francisco in San Francisco. First place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. National winners will be announced tomorrow, May 4.

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 11 Winners

Four Year College/University Finalists:

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Students rally after ruling - by Samantha Cook and Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Second Place: Hostile Gospel - by Sarah Hardy, Humboldt State University.
• Third Place: Strong Winds Fell Scaffolding - by Bryan Gibel, University of California, Berkeley.

Editorial Cartooning
No Awards.*

Feature Photography
• First Place: The Car Wash - by Jana Asenbrennerova, San Francisco State University.
• Second Place: Mission Nights - by Armand Emamdjomeh, University of California, Berkeley.
• Third Place: UCLA Regents Meeting - by Alex Zamora, University of California, Santa Cruz.

General News Photography
• First Place: Love in the time of swine flu - by Lisa Beth Earle, University of Arizona.
• Second Place: Border patrol - by Deanna Dent, Arizona State University, Cronkite School.
• Third Place: Magic Carpet golf torch - by Lisa Beth Earle, University of Arizona.

Photo Illustration
• First Place: Not afraid to go home - by Hannah Pedraza, California State University, Northridge.
• Second Place: Registration Issue 2009 Covers - by Nicole Vas, Maya Sugarman, Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Third Place: H1N1 - by Katie Chavarin, California State University, Northridge.

Sports Photography
• First Place: Facing Off - by Michael Ignatov, University of Arizona.
• Second Place: Dance, Matadors, Dance - by Jesus Esquivel, California State University, Northridge.
• Third Place: ASU throttles ULM, 38-14 - by Matt Pavelek, Arizona State University.

Best Student Magazine
• First Place: La Verne Magazine, University of La Verne.
• Second Place: Prime, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Non-Fiction Magazine Article
• First Place: A Commander's Challenge - by Celeste Sepessy, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Following a recession, finding employment may require compromise - by Denise Vastola, California State University, Northridge.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Second Place: Arizona Daily Wildcat, University of Arizona.
• Third Place: The State Press, Arizona State University.

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: The Orion, California State University, Chico.
• Second Place: The Lumberjack, Humboldt State.
• Third Place: Los Angeles Loyolan, Loyola Marymount University.

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Dorm birth ends in arrest - by Ian Friedman and Carly Kennedy, University of Arizona.
• Second Place: Paper Thieves Empty Stands - by Arizona Daily Wildcat staff, University of Arizona.
• Third Place: UCLA student stabbed in chemistry lab - by Carolyn McGough, Samantha Schaefer and Daniel Schonhaut, University of California, Los Angeles.

Editorial Writing
• First Place: The State Press, Editorial Board, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: The Echo, Caitlin Coomber, California Lutheran University.
• Third Place: The Daily Californian, Kelly Fitzpatrick, University of California, Berkeley.

Feature Writing
• First Place: U Can't Touch This - by Dara Kerr, University of California, Berkeley.
• Second Place: The world down under - by Tessa Muggeridge, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Latinos Tackle Alzheimer's - by Diana Montaño, University of California.

General Column Writing
• First Place: Kia Makarechi, Millie Tran and Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Second Place: Carmel DeAmicis, University of California, Berkeley.
• Third Place: The Pensieve - by Melanie Hom and Brian Wanyoike, Stanford University.

General News Reporting
• First Place: Raids leave immigrants living in fear - by Diana Montaño, University of California, Berkeley.
• Second Place: Legislator: Abuse still rampant in Arizona's polygamist communities - by Melanie Kiser, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Danger along border threatens research on endangered species - by James Kindle, Arizona State University.

In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: DREAM deferred - by Derek Quizon, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Special report on Mexican economy - by W.J. Hennigan, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Minister Kept Secret for 27 Years - by Christine McFadden, Stanford University.

Sports Column Writing
• First Place: Ryan Eshoff, Farzad Mashhood and Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Second Place: Bryan Roy, University of Arizona.
• Third Place: Matt Kawahara, University of California, Berkeley.

Sports Writing
• First Place: A labor of love - by Andrew Pentis, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Remembering Polkey - by Lance Madden, University of Arizona.
• Third Place: More than Moore - by Andrew Howard and Farzad Mashhood, University of California, Los Angeles.

Best Affiliated Web Site
• First Place: Statepress.com, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: dailysundial.com, California State University, Northridge.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best Independent Online Student Publication
• First Place: Mission Local, University of California, Berkeley.
• Second Place: Cronkite Zine, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online Feature Reporting
• First Place: Your body as a mural - by Machiko Yasuda, Adria Tinnin, Kimberly Lajcik and Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Second Place: Pulse of a Corner - by Jonathan J. Cooper, Corey Schubert, Tessa Muggeridge and Megan L. Thomas, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Exercise: Healing the Body and Mind - by Jacqueline Tsai, University of Southern California.

Online In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Photo Enforcement - by Jeremy Rudy, Carleen McGillick and Melanie Kiser, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Building success - by Jeremy Pennycook and Elizabeth Shell, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Streets of Dreams - by 2009 Cronkite Boot Camp, Arizona State University.

Online News Reporting
• First Place: Border’s virtual fence: Over-budget and under-performing - by Jonathan J. Cooper, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Living on the line: Border fence is boon to some, bother to others - by Stephanie Riel, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Last Call for the 26-Valencia - by Alissa Figueroa and Deia De Brito, University of California, Berkeley.

Online Opinion & Commentary
• First Place: Spencer Morris, San Francisco State University.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online Sports Reporting
• First Place: USC Hockey: Rinkside View - by Christopher Breece, University of Southern California.
• Second Place: Cricket: More Than Just A Game - by Jacqueline Tsai, University of Southern California.
• Third Place: Examining football’s two-way risk - by Andrew Pentis, Arizona State University.

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
• First Place: Richie Duchon, Timothy Beck-Werth, Matthew Richmond and Lata Pandya, University of Southern California.
• Second Place: KCSN News, California State University, Northridge.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Radio Feature
• First Place: School Nutrition - by Kristyn Fryrear, California State University, Northridge.
• Second Place: Growing Your Own Garden - by Colton Shone, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Laughter yoga class reminds faculty, staff to laugh - by Shaina Pan, Sarah Rogozen and Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.

Radio In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Neither here nor there: Bhutanese Refugees in the U.S. - by Adelaide Chen, University of California, Berkeley.
• Second Place: Broken Dreams on Burgess Lane - by Colton Shone, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: 710 Freeway Extension - by Brett Teal, California State University, Northridge.

Radio News Reporting
• First Place: Principles found by picture of sea slugs' reflex memory could apply to human learning - by Chris Benderev, Sarah Rogozen and Alene Tchekmedyian, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Second Place: Beck Selected To Be Next LAPD Chief - by Richie Duchon, University of Southern California.
• Third Place: Confusion and Outrage Spread Over Homeless Count Results - by Timothy Beck-Werth, University of Southern California.

Radio Sports Reporting
• First Place: Semi-Pro Football League - by Joe Prado, California State University, Northridge.
• Second Place: Final minute of UCLA-USC football game prompts Twitter mania - by Ken Okamoto, Farzad Mashhood and Sarah Rogozen, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Third Place: Cardinals Super Bowl - by Jill Galus, Arizona State University.

Best All-Around Television Newscast
• First Place: Cronkite News Staff, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Annenberg TV News, University of Southern California.
• Third Place: Valley View News, California State University, Northridge.

Television Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: NSM march in Arizona – by Toby Phillips, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Light Rail Crash - by Desiree Dietiker, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Swine School - by Rafael Carranza, Arizona State University.

Television Feature Photography
• First Place: Uganda Medical Mission - by Liz McKernan, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Heritage Hats - by Toby Phillips, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Slacklining - by Lysee Mitri, University of Southern California.

Television Feature
• First Place: Uganda Medical Mission - by Liz McKernan, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Heritage Hats - by Toby Phillips, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: 80 Year Old Bowler - by Brian McBride, Arizona State University.

Television General News Reporting
• First Place: Indigent Burial - by Christie Post, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Horse Tripping - by Brian McBride, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Ocean Smuggling - by Amber Dixon, Arizona State University.

Television In-Depth Reporting
• First Place: Cronkite News Tracks H1N1 - by Cronkite News Staff, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Corinne Crockett embeds in UCLA ROTC - by Corinne Crockett, Michael Chen and Daniel Schonhaut, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television News Photography
• First Place: Ocean Smuggling - by Amber Dixon, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Lightrail Platform Safety - by David Gonzalez, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: Agua Linda Checkpoints - by Kenneth Wong, Arizona State University.

Television Sports Photography
• First Place: GCU Basketball - by Mike Pelton, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Night Golf - by Maxine Park, Arizona State University.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Television Sports Reporting
• First Place: Manzanita Closes - by Nick Landauer, Arizona State University.
• Second Place: Parkour pushes the limit - by Cheryl Yu, Michelle Lee, Salima Koroma and Kattie Lam, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Third Place: Night Golf - by Maxine Park, Arizona State University.

Two Year College/University Finalists:

Breaking News Photography
• First Place: Where have all the classes gone? - by Misael Virgen, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Editorial Cartooning
No Awards.*

Feature Photography
• First Place: Game Face - by Diana Inocencio, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

General News Photography
• First Place: Enough! - by Daniela Padilla, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Photo Illustration
No Awards.*

Sports Photography
• First Place: Soar Feet - by Russell Scoffin, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper
• First Place: Aztec Press, Staff, Pima Community College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Breaking News Reporting
• First Place: Faculty union members banned - by Sean Campbell and Lyndsay Winkley, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: Students rally against cuts to class schedule - by Jen Moreno, Southwestern College.
• Third Place: No Award.*

Editorial Writing
• First Place: The truths and myths of Raj K. Chopra - by Southwestern College Staff, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Feature Writing
• First Place: Going Back: Moving Forward - by Liza Porter, Pima Community College.
• Second Place: Faces of Immigration - by Albert Fulcher, Jose Guzman, Michael Fritz and Tanya Castell, Southwestern College
• Third Place: No Award.*

General Column Writing
• First Place: The Human Chord: To save SWC Chopra, board need to go - by Albert Fulcher, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

General News Reporting
• First Place: Students, staff, faculty protest a 'Culture of Fear' - by Sean Campbell, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: Golden State still the land of opportunity - by Southwestern Sun Staff, Southwestern College.
• Third Place: No Award.*

In-Depth Reporting
No Awards.*

Sports Writing
• First Place: No love for tennis teams - by Sean Campbell, Southwestern College.
• Second Place: No Award.*
• Third Place: No Award.*

Online In-Depth Reporting
No Awards.*

*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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