Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Downers Grove South High School Entry Title: Increased class sizes impact students’ academic performance Entry Credit: Juliana Conyer Judge Comment: Very well written news story with obvious local relevance. A wealth of valuable details presented in a well-organized fashion. Great use of quotes from teachers, admin and students. Nice job!
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Huntley High School Entry Title: Attending to make a change Entry Credit: Daniel Przybylko Judge Comment: Very well written and organized. Your lede creatively establishes context. Great details and quotes. Be mindful of grammar and style (e.g. comma placement, cap titles before names). Good news story with obvious local relevance.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Glenbrook South High School Entry Title: D225 Board finalizes 2025-2026 school year calendar Entry Credit: Olivia Richards Judge Comment: Decently written news story with clean local impact. Plenty of good details and quotes. Try to keep ledes to one sentence; so many dates right at the top is a bit cluttered. Be mindful of style, especially comma placement.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Glenbrook South High School Entry Title: District 225 revamps honors: New curriculum launches in 2025-2026 Entry Credit: Danielle Joseph Judge Comment: Decently written story with obvious local relevance. Plenty of good details and quotes. Attribution typically isn't necessary in the lede and tends to add to the clutter - save citation for 2nd or 3rd graf. Be mindful of style, especially capitalization of titles (not when they follow the name).
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Stevenson High School Entry Title: Security Changes at Stevenson Football Games Entry Credit: Tej Kosaraju, Leila Markicic Judge Comment: A decently written story with clear local relevance. Good sources and detail. Ledes should typically be kept to one sentence. Be mindful of style. Solid work.
