Congratulations, 2017 IJEA Yearbook Contest winners!

Throughout the state of Illinois, no matter the size of the school or program, yearbook staffs and advisers created wonderful storytelling in the 2016-2017 school year. In order to encourage the tremendous photography, design, writing, coverage and theme development in our state, the Illinois Journalism Education Association is proud to announce the winners of the 2017 IJEA Yearbook Contest.

Leading the way are the Best Overall Yearbook winners in each of the contest’s six enrollment divisions:

• West Prairie High School in Division 1

• Meridian High School in Division 2

• Richmond-Burton Community High School in Division 3

• Taylorville High School in Division 4

• McHenry High School in Division 5

• Glenbrook South High School in Division 6

The contest honored outstanding student work in covering the 2016-17 school year. Schools submitted their yearbooks in November, ensuring that fall-delivery books were included in the judging.

The books were judged in eight individual categories: copy writing, sports, photography, graphics, layout & design, divider pages, theme development and coverage of the year.

Books earned points based on how they placed in each category. The top three point-scoring books in each division received first-, second- and third-place recognition as Best Overall Yearbook in their respective divisions.

Dr. Sally Renaud, IJEA executive director and journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University, administered the contest. Judges were drawn from the ranks of experienced journalists, teachers and advisers.

An enthusiastic congratulations to all yearbook staffs and advisers. We are proud of the amazing work you do each year throughout Illinois. Best of luck on your continuing coverage of the 2017-18 school year; we can’t wait to see next year’s entries!

Here are the results of the 2017 Illinois Journalism Education Association Yearbook Contest:

Overall Winners, General Excellence

Division 1 (enrollment 106-189)

First Place
The Cyclone
West Prairie High School
Adviser: Caleb Hall

Second Place
Timepiece
Okawville High School
Adviser: Dana Donovan

Third Place
The Rambler
Brown County High School
Adviser: Kris McCaskill

Division 2 (enrollment 220-461)

First Place
Meridian Moments
Meridian High School
Adviser: Sheila Moore

Second Place (tie)
The Newton Times
Newton Community High School
Adviser: Cheryl Walker

Seymourian
Payson Seymour High School
Adviser: Diane Germann & Barb Speckahart

Division 3 (enrollment 466-730)

First Place
The Endeavor
Richmond-Burton Community High School
Adviser: Elizabeth Marshall

Second Place
Salemarion
Salem Community High School
Adviser: Madeline Pea

Third Place
You Wish You Were
Sacred Heart-Griffin High School
Adviser: Mary See

Division 4 (enrollment 850-1,252)

First Place
The Drift
Taylorville High School
Adviser: Stephen Steele

Second Place (three-way tie)
Dial
Carbondale High School
Adviser: Brandi Jones

Excalibur
Richwoods High School
Adviser: Dan Kerns

Knightline
Triad High School
Adviser: Becky Amen

Division 5 (enrollment 1,383-2,195)

First Place
The Warrior
McHenry High School
Adviser: Dane Erbach

Second Place
The Cauldron
Downers Grove North High School
Adviser: Kathy Smith

Third Place
Montage
Elk Grove High School
Adviser: Lisa Martineau

Division 6 (enrollment 2,200-3,000*)

First Place
The Etruscan
Glenbrook South High School
Adviser: Brenda Field

Second Place
Crest
Prospect High School
Adviser: Nicole Stolz

Third Place
U-Highlights
University of Chicago Laboratory HS
Adviser: Logan Aimone

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

Division I

Best Copy Writing

1. Okawville HS
2. Cisne HS
3. West Prairie HS
   HM. Greenfield HS
   HM. Brown County HS

Best Sports Coverage

1. Brown County HS
2. Okawville HS
3. West Prairie HS

Best Layout and Design

1. West Prairie HS
2. Greenfield HS
3. Okawville HS
   HM. Brown County HS
   HM. Schlarman Academy
   HM. Palestine HS

Best Divider Pages

1. Okawville HS
2. Tri-Point HS
3. West Prairie HS
   HM. Cisne HS
   HM. Palestine HS
   HM. Brown County HS

Best Use of Photography

1. Brown County HS
2. Cisne HS
3. Schlarman Academy
   HM. Okawville HS
   HM. Palestine HS
   HM. West Prairie HS

Best Use of Graphics

1. West Prairie HS
2. Tri-Point HS
3. Palestine HS

Best Theme Development

1. West Prairie HS
2. Palestine HS
3. Greenfield HS
   HM. Okawville HS
   HM. Brown County HS
   HM. Schlarman Academy

Best Coverage of School Year

1. West Prairie HS
2. Okawville HS
3. Brown County HS
   HM. Tri-Point HS
   HM. Cisne HS

Division 2

Best Copy Writing

1. Payson Seymour HS
2. Newton Community HS
3. Carlyle HS
   HM. Meridian Senior HS
   HM. Lewistown HS

Best Sports Coverage

1. Meridian Senior HS
2. Newton Community HS
3. Carlyle HS

Best Layout and Design

1. Payson Seymour HS
2. Meridian Senior HS
3. Newton Community HS
   HM. Pecatonica HS

Best Divider Pages

1. Newton Community HS
2. Carlyle HS
3. Meridian Senior HS
   HM. Salt Fork HS
   HM. Payson Seymour HS

Best Use of Photography

1. Pecatonica HS
2. Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond HS
3. Meridian Senior HS
   HM. Newton Community HS
   HM. Payson Seymour HS
   HM. Lewistown HS

Best Use of Graphics

1. Meridian Senior HS
2. Lewistown HS
3. Carlyle HS
   HM. Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond HS

Best Theme Development

1. Payson Seymour HS
2. Meridian Senior HS
3. Salt Fork HS
   HM. Pecatonica HS
   HM. Carlyle HS
   HM. Lewistown HS

Best Coverage of School Year

1. Meridian Senior HS
2. Lewiston HS
3. Newton Community HS
   HM. Payson Seymour HS

Division 3

Best Copy Writing

1. Richmond-Burton Community HS
2. Phoenix Military Academy
3. Salem Community HS
   HM. Hillsboro HS
   HM. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS
   HM. Herscher HS

Best Sports Coverage

1. Richmond-Burton HS
2. Sacred Heart-Griffon HS
3. Phoenix Military Academy
   HM. Salem Community HS

Best Layout and Design

1. Richmond-Burton Community HS
2. Salem Community HS
3. Richland County HS
   HM. St. Joseph-Odgen HS

Best Divider Pages

1. Richmond-Burton Community HS
2. Salem Community HS
3. Herscher HS
   HM. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS
   HM. St. Joseph-Odgen HS

Best Use of Photography

1. Salem Community HS
2. Richland County HS
3. St. Joseph-Odgen HS
   HM. Phoenix Military Academy
   HM. Hillsboro HS
   HM. Herscher HS

Best Use of Graphics

1. Richmond-Burton Community HS
2. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS
3. Hillsboro HS
   HM. Richland County HS
   HM. St. Joseph-Odgen HS

Best Theme Development

1. Richard-Burton Community HS
2. Salem Community HS
3. St. Joseph-Odgen HS
   HM. Phoenix Military Academy
   HM. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS
   HM. Richland County HS

Best Coverage of School Year

1. Richmond-Burton Community HS
2. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS
3. Phoenix Military Academy
   HM. Hillsboro HS
   HM. Salem Community HS

Division 4

Best Copy Writing

1. Taylorville HS
2. Triad HS
3. Richwoods HS
   HM. Carbondale Community HS
   HM. Champaign Central HS

Best Sports Coverage

1. Taylorville HS
2. Carbondale Community HS
3. Champaign Central HS
   HM. Richwoods HS
   HM. Triad HS

Best Layout and Design

1. Taylorville HS
2. Mattoon HS
3. Carbondale Community HS
   HM. Triad HS
   HM. Richwoods HS

Best Divider Pages

1. Triad HS
2. Richwoods HS
3. Taylorville HS
   HM. Champaign Central HS

Best Use of Photography

1. Carbondale Community HS
2. Richwoods HS
3. Champaign Central HS
   HM. Mattoon HS
   HM. Metamora Township HS
   HM. Triad HS

Best Use of Graphics

1. Morton HS
2. Taylorville HS
3. Carbondale Community HS
   HM. Metamora Township HS
   HM. Champaign Central HS

Best Theme Development

1. Taylorville HS
2. Champaign Central HS
3. Triad HS
   HM. Carbondale Community HS
   HM. Richwoods HS
   HM. Metamora Township HS

Best Coverage of School Year

1. Taylorville HS
2. Richwoods HS
3. Triad HS
   HM. Mattoon HS

Division 5

Best Copy Writing

1. McHenry HS
2. Pekin Community HS
3. Downers Grove North HS
   HM. Ottawa Township HS
   HM. Glenwood HS
   HM. Riverside Brookfield HS

Best Sports Coverage

1. McHenry HS
2. Downers Grove North HS
3. Elk Grove HS
   HM. Riverside Brookfield HS

Best Layout and Design

1. Downers Grove North HS
2. McHenry HS
3. Pekin Community HS
   HM. Ottawa Township HS

Best Divider Pages

1. McHenry HS
2. Elk Grove HS
3. Pekin Community HS
   HM. Glenwood HS
   HM. Downers Grove North HS

Best Use of Photography

1. Elk Grove HS
2. McHenry HS
3. Riverside Brookfield HS
   HM. Ottawa Township HS
   HM. Downers Grove North HS
   HM. Glenwood HS

Best Use of Graphics

1. McHenry HS
2. Downers Grove North HS
3. Kaneland HS
   HM. Ottawa Township HS
   HM. Glenwood HS

Best Theme Development

1. Glenwood HS
2. Riverside Brookfield HS
3. Elk Grove HS
   HM. Pekin Community HS
   HM. McHenry HS
   HM. Ottawa Township HS
   HM. Downers Grove North HS

Best Coverage of School Year

1. McHenry HS
2. Ottawa Township HS
3. Pekin Community HS
   HM. Riverside Brookfield HS

Division 6

Best Copy Writing

1. Glenbrook South HS
2. University of Chicago Lab HS
3. Mundelein HS
   HM. Belleville East HS
   HM. Edwardsville HS

Best Sports Coverage

1. Prospect HS
2. Glenbrook South HS
3. University of Chicago Lab HS
   HM. Oswego East HS

Best Layout and Design

1. Prospect HS
2. Glenbrook South HS
3. Oswego East HS
   HM. University of Chicago Lab HS
   HM. Edwardsville HS

Best Divider Pages

1. Prospect HS
2. O’Fallon Township HS
3. Oswego East HS
   HM. Edwardsville HS
   HM. Belleville East HS

Best Use of Photography

1. Glenbrook South HS
2. O’Fallon Township HS
3. University of Chicago Lab HS
   HM. Mundelein HS
   HM. Prospect HS
   HM. Oswego East HS

Best Use of Graphics

1. Glenbrook South HS
2. Edwardsville HS
3. University of Chicago Lab HS
   HM. Prospect HS
   HM. O’Fallon Township HS

Best Theme Development

1. Edwardsville HS
2. Prospect HS
3. Oswego East HS
   HM. Edwardsville HS
   HM. University of Chicago Lab HS
   HM. Glenbrook South HS

Best Coverage of School Year

1. Glenbrook South HS
2. Prospect HS
3. University of Chicago Lab HS
   HM. Mundelein HS
   HM. Oswego East HS
   HM. O’Fallon HS