Illinois students take home national awards from JEA/NSPA Fall Convention

Illinois student journalists won a number of major awards at the 2019 JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, held Nov. 21-24 in Washington, D.C.

The honorees included two first-place national winners: Lyons Township High School’s Lars Lonnroth, who earned first place in the podcast category of the NSPA’s 2019 Digital Story of the Year competition, and Niles West News, which earned top honors in the Best of Show website category for schools with 1,500+ students.

In all, Illinois student journalists were recognized at the convention with 20 national awards in NSPA competitions and 69 awards in the JEA’s National Student Media Contests (formerly known as write-offs).

Congratulations to all of the winners and their advisers!

NSPA AWARDS

Links to the winners of all NSPA competitions recognized at the 2019 Fall Convention are available here. The following list highlights Illinois winners only.

2019 Newspaper/Newsmagazine Pacemaker

Finalist, U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago; Jacob Posner, Priyanka Shrijay, Emma Trone, editors; Logan Aimone, adviser

2019 Cartoon of the Year

Editorial Cartoon: Honorable Mention, Margo Kazak, The Oracle, Glenbrook South High School, Glenview

Editorial Cartoon: Honorable Mention, Shannon McGreevy, Southwords, Maine South High School, Park Ridge

2019 Design of the Year

Yearbook Theme Package: Honorable Mention, Ananya Asthana, Natalie Bakwin, Marisa McGehee, Yael Rolnik, Alexis Tyndall U-Highlights, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago

2019 Digital Story of the Year

Multimedia Sports Story Package: Third Place, Kirubel Mesfin, Josh Pietsch, Noah Semeria, Jack Tarantino, “Dynasty: Six state championships, three years, two teams and one school,” The North Star, Naperville North High School, Naperville

Interactive Graphic: Honorable Mention, Noelle Smagala, “Stimulated problems: Stimulants cause more harm than good,” Metea Media, Metea Valley High School, Aurora

Podcast: First Place, Lars Lonnroth, “Happenings of the Halls: School security,” Lion, Lyons Township High School, LaGrange

Podcast: Third Place, Lars Lonnroth, “Happenings of the Halls: Drug use at LT,” Lion, Lyons Township High School, LaGrange

Podcast: Fifth Place, Kate Hyland, “Second-semester seniors succumb to senioritis,” The Prospector, Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect

Podcast: Honorable Mention, Jacob Posner, Emma Trone, “The Bubble,” U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago

2019 Photo of the Year

Sports Reaction Photo: Third Place, Diana Temelkova, Vespa, Hinsdale South High School, Darien

Environmental Portrait: Honorable Mention, Kyle Niego, Menagerie, Lyons Township High School, La Grange

2019 Portfolio of the Year

Artist of the Year: Honorable Mention, Mara Nicolaie, The Prospector, Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect

Writer of the Year: Third Place, Ayse Eldes, The Prospector, Prospect High School, Mt. Prospect

2019 Social Justice Reporting

Honorable Mention, Jacob Posner, Emma Trone, Podcast: “The Bubble,” U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago

2019 Story of the Year

Editorial: Fourth Place, Audrey Matzke, “Disciplinary hearings need student voice,” U-High Midway, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago

Best of Show

Newspaper | Special Edition: Ninth Place, The Arrow, Antioch Community High School, Antioch

Newspaper | Tabloid (16 or fewer pages): Third Place, Central Times, Naperville Central High School, Naperville

Newspaper | Tabloid (17 or more pages): Seventh Place, The Oracle, Glenbrook South High School, Glenview

Website | 1,500+ Students: First Place, The Niles West News, Niles West High School, Skokie

JEA AWARDS

Information about the changes to JEA write-offs that took effect at the 2019 Fall Convention can be found here. The competitions are now known as the National Student Media Contests.

Please note that the following list highlights Illinois winners only.

News Writing

Superior — Maggie Baumstark, Glenbrook South High School; Ryan Kupperman, Prospect High School

Honorable Mention — Molly Boufford, Libertyville High School; Grace Holleb, University of Chicago Laboratory High School; Anna McCormick, Lyons Township High School; Ethan Thomas, York Community High School

Editorial Writing

Excellent — Tessa Voytovich, Lyons Township High School

Honorable Mention — Olivia Griffin, University of Chicago Laboratory High School; Gretchen Lucina, Downers Grove North High School; Vivian Zhao, Naperville Central High School

Feature Writing

Superior — Mira Costello, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Honorable Mention — Mia Bonfiglio, Lyons Township High School; Adriana Briscoe, Prospect High School; Mary Kett, York Community High School; Gwyn Skiles, Glenbrook South High School

Sports Writing

Honorable Mention — Sam Bull, Downers Grove North High School; Ethan Carey, Niles West High School; Julian Ingersoll, University of Chicago Laboratory High School; MJ McNary, Glenbrook South High School

Review Writing

Superior — An Ngo, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Excellent — Dani Almase, Lyons Township High School

Honorable Mention — Joseph Beeson, Saint Charles East High School; Tommy Carrico, Prospect High School; Mia Merchant, Glenbrook South High School; Stefan Simic, Niles West High School; Lucy Valeski, York Community High School

Editorial Cartooning

Honorable Mention — Danielle Pritchard, Naperville Central High School

Commentary Writing

Excellent — Caledonia Abbey, University of Chicago Laboratory High School; Jenna Koch, Prospect High School; Sarah Waters, Niles West High School

News Editing/Headline Writing/Current Events

Superior — Peter Pu, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Excellent — Brendan Burke, Prospect High School; Cecilia Lampa, York Community High School

Honorable Mention — Nicole Klein, Lyons Township High School; Margaret Ward, Downers Grove North High School

Newsmagazine Layout

Honorable Mention — Hannah Brody, York Community High School

Press Law and Ethics

Superior — Anne Ribordy, Glenbrook South High School

Honorable Mention — Nina Shearrill, Lyons Township High School

Yearbook Copy/Caption: Sports

Superior — Ryan Lynch, York Community High School

Excellent — Geli Bielawski, Prospect High School

Honorable Mention — Anathea Carrigan, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Yearbook Copy/Caption: Academics

Honorable Mention — Emily Blumberg, Glenbrook South High School

Yearbook Copy/Caption: Clubs

Honorable Mention — Zoe Smutko, Prospect High School

Yearbook Copy/Caption: Student Life

Superior — Claire Duncan, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Excellent — Amanda Pinter, Prospect High School

Yearbook Layout: Inside Pages

Honorable Mention — Isobel Lebeau, Prospect High School

Yearbook Cover/Endsheets

Honorable Mention — Claudia Kirby, Prospect High School

Literary Magazine: Poetry

Superior — Mara Gregory, Libertyville High School

Honorable Mention — Julia DeMotte, York Community High School

Graphic Design: Logo

Excellent — Kiersten Jordan, Joliet West High School

Graphic Design: Infographics

Honorable Mention — Liz Gremer, Lyons Township High School

Graphic Design: Advertising

Honorable Mention — Madison Horvat, Joliet West High School

Sports Action Photography

Superior — Maria Shaughnessy, University of Chicago Laboratory High School

Honorable Mention — Maddie Dorsch, Prospect High School

Feature Photography

Honorable Mention — CJ Lange, Prospect High School

General or Spot News Photography

Honorable Mention — Alfonso Fernandez, Lyons Township High School

Photo Story

Honorable Mention — Emma Likert, O’Fallon Township High School

First-Year Photo

Excellent — Malcolm Taylor, University of Chicago Laboratory High School; Morgan Topps, Prospect High School; Nathan Valentine, O’Fallon Township High School

Broadcast Commercial/PSA

Honorable Mention — Megan Krok, Joliet West High School; Haley Maser, Joliet West High School; Abagael Moriarty, York Community High School; Erin Quaid, York Community High School

Video Package Editing

Honorable Mention — Lily Nguyen, O’Fallon Township High School

Online News Package

Excellent — Murphy McFarlane, York Community High School

Broadcast Anchor

Superior — John Castanoli, York Community High School

Broadcast Package

Honorable Mention — Nevan Bickel, O’Fallon Township High School; Adrian Croissant, O’Fallon Township High School

Dave Porreca, CJE, has been a member of IJEA since 1995 and served as IJEA president from 2001 to 2004. He taught journalism and advised student news publications from 1995 to 2010 at the University of Illinois Laboratory High School in Urbana, where his students were NSPA Pacemaker finalists nine times and winners six times. His students were the 2009 IHSA journalism state champions and the 2008 runners-up. He currently works as the web/media specialist for Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401.