Twenty-two first-place entries in the Nebraska Press Women (NPW) High School Communications Contest have advanced to the National Federation of Press Women competition.
National award winners will be announced during an online high school awards celebration on Monday, May 16. The 258 entries in the contest were the most in recent years, with several categories having more than 15 entries. Students from 13 schools won state awards in the contest that includes categories in the areas of writing, visual, broadcast or video, and yearbook. The contest was open to high school students across the state. It was judged by communications professionals, with constructive feedback provided on each entry.
Westside High School in Omaha accumulated the most points based on contest results and received the Sweepstakes Award. Marian High School, also in Omaha, placed as first runner up for the Sweepstakes Award.
“It’s exciting to see increased interest in the contest and to recognize the good works of student journalists across the state,” said Sherry Thompson of Omaha, NPW High School Contest Director.
Winners were recognized during NPW’s spring convention luncheon Saturday (April 23) in York. Schools with winning entries are Adams Central Jr./Sr. High School (Hastings), Bellevue West High School, Cedar Bluffs Public School, Dorchester High School, Grand Island Central Catholic High School, Gretna High School, Lexington High School, Marian High School (Omaha), Millard North High School (Omaha), Millard South High School (Omaha), Plattsmouth High School, Ralston High School and Westside High School (Omaha).
Award winners by category are:
Best Newscast – first place, Brady Meyerson, Westside High School; second place, Megan Schneider, Elle Stiles and Claire Bauman, Marian High School; third place, Jaden Taylor, Westside High School; honorable mention, Shane Daughtrey, Bellevue West.
Cartooning – first place, Elleiana Green, Marian High School; second place, Jacie Boelhower, Adams Central; third place, Delaney Davis, Westside High School; honorable mentions, Lexie Smith, Millard South High School; Keely King, Millard South High School.
Columns or Blogs – first place, Anna Rasgorshek, Marian High School; second place, Gnally Boukar, Bellevue West; third place, Melina Piperis, Marian High School; honorable mention, Vivian Kaldahl, Millard South.
Double-Truck Layout – first place, Delaney Davis, Westside High School; second place, Jordan Moser, Marian High School; third place, Jasmine Palikhya, Westside High School; honorable mentions, Kate Stevens, Westside High School; Leland Madeline, Millard South High School; Jordan Moser, Marian High School.
Editorial – first place, Darian Pierre, Millard South High School; second place, Chioma Aloziem, Avery Kinnison and Sydney Schroeder, Marian High School; third place, Elleiana Green, Marian High School; honorable mentions, Kiera Ginn, Westside High School; Meg Gross, Bellevue West; Lauren Rayner, Millard South High School.
Environment – first place, Madeline Leland, Turner Wittstruck, Alexis Smith and Haley Johnson, Millard South High School; second place, Jordan Moser, Bailey Kollasch, Elizabeth Monzu and Elleiana Green, Marian High School; third place, Jacki Petrow, Bellevue West; honorable mentions, Sammy Marvin, Westside High School; and Meg Gross, Bellevue West.
Feature Story – first place, Gianna Salerno, Marian High School; second place, Onnika Moore, Gretna High School; third place, Elise Moulton, Marian High School; honorable mentions, Grace Vandercoy, Westside High School; Isabelle Dodge, Westside High School; Joseph Kaipust, Millard South High School; Bailey Kollasch, Marian High School; Kalei Renner, Gretna High School; Delany Jepsen, Gretna High School; Kaleigh Zollman, Gretna High School.
Graphics / Photo Illustration – first place, Jerzie Kaputska, Adams Central; second place, Makenzie Darrow, Marian High School; third place , Barrett Shea, Adams Central High School; honorable mention, Alexis Smith, Millard South High School.
News or Feature Photo – first place, Anna Rasgorshek, Marian High School; second place, Jennifer Castle, Millard South High School; third place, Bergan Simmonds, Millard South High School.
News Story – first place, Kalei Renner, Gretna High School; second place, Elleiana Green, Marian High School; third place, Tanatswa Chivero, Westside High School; honorable mentions, Owen Reimer, Bellevue West; Emily Mabbitt, Bellevue West; Claire Wood, Bellevue West; Joni Beauchamp, Millard South High School; Fiona Gautschi, Marian High School; MaryJane Fletcher, Gretna High School.
Opinion – first place, Eliza Turco, Marian High School; second place, Meg Gross, Bellevue West; third place, Caitlyn Wohlford, Bellevue West; honorable mentions, Angela Messere, Grand Island Central Catholic; Lydia Frost, Westside High School; Jack Eikenbary, Westside High School; Rebecca Jacobsen, Millard North High School; Shannon Monahan, Marian High School.
Radio/Television Interview or Talk Show – first place, Joe Vermillion and Umanga Ghimire, Westside High School; second place, Elissa Eisele, Natalie Bullock and Tyler Raiker, Marian High School; third place, Maddie Almquist, Gretna High School; honorable mentions, Emmalie Herd and Taylor Horton, Bellevue West; Max Coughlin and Jaden Taylor, Westside High School; Ava Van Gelder and Elinor Bowen-Keyes, Westside High School; Cadee McCoid, Gretna High School.
Review – first place, Carli Ahsan, Marian High School; second place, Owen Reimer, Bellevue West; third place, Mahika Kanchanam, Millard North High School; honorable mention, Sydney Mejia, Millard South High School.
Single-Page Layout – first place, Maddie Adam, Marian High School; second place, Angela Messere, Grand Island Central Catholic; third place, Jasmine Palikhya, Westside High School; honorable mentions, Lauryn Scott, Adams Central; Jenna Cecrle, Adams Central; Hannah Crawford, Adams Central; Delaney Davis, Westside High School; Meg Gross, Bellevue West.
Sports Photo – first place, Zoe Gillespie, Westside High School; second place, Jennifer Castle, Millard South High School; third place, Elli Marker, Adams Central; honorabe mentions, Jacie Boelhower, Adams Central; Meg Gross, Bellevue West; Mary Nilius, Westside High School; Zoe Gillespie, Westside High School; Ally Seevers, Millard South High School; Clare Degan, Marian High School.
Sports Story – first place, Benjamin Bartholow, Millard South High School; second place, Jaden Taylor, Westside High School; third place, Grace Vandercoy, Westside High School; honorable mention, Grace Vandercoy, Westside High School.
Video Feature Story – first place, Cameron White, Westside High School; second place, Arnav Pokhrel and Jack Macfadyen, Millard North High School; third place, Kerri Bazis and Jonathan Spieler, Millard South High School; honorable mention, Erin Mosier, Westside High School.
Video News Story – first place, Emily Jasa, Westside High School; second place, Jadyn Paul and Gabe Miller, Millard North High School; third place, Abby Vater, Bellevue West; honorable mentions, Tamir Morris, Bellevue West;Madeline Schegel and Emily Jasa, Westside High School; Selin Avalos and Leticia Virgilio, Lexington High School.
Video Sports Story – first place, Jacksen Konrad, Levi Converse and Ali Bakhit, Lexington High School; second place, Haley Geringer, Millard South High School; third place, Meg Gross, Bellevue West; honorable mentions, Evan Kugler, Umanga Ghimire and Joe Vermillion, Westside High School; Evan Kugler, Joe Vermillion, Umanga Ghimire and Cameron White, Westside High School.
Yearbook Copywriting – first place, Liah Haines, Lexington High School; second place, Kaitlyn Kelly, Millard North High School; third place, Zev Gordman, Westside High School; honorable mentions, Kajetan Hubl, Grand Island Central Catholic; Madison Sherwood, Dorchester High School; Danni McKnight, Dorchester High School.
Yearbook Layout – first place, Nina Kudlacz, Ralston High School ; second place, Megan Hawley, Gretna High School; third place, Sarah Bunnell, Carlee Petereit, Jessica Meisinger and Natalie Briggs, Plattsmouth High School; honorable mentions, Grace Williams, Cedar Bluffs High School; Kalley Sukstorf, Cedar Bluffs High School; Mikya Fox, Cedar Bluffs High School; Alyssa Garcia, Ralston High School; Kajetan Hubl, Grand Island Central Catholic; Ayonya Birthi, Grand Island Central Catholic; Aletha Bates, Bellevue West; Sophia Goessling, Bellevue West; Sarah Breaux, Bellevue West; Sophia Epps, Bellevue West; Krista Hardy, Plattsmouth; Jessica Meisinger, Plattsmouth; Wyatt Cook and Krista Hardy, Plattsmouth; Madison Quimby, Plattsmouth High School; Ava Morehead, Plattsmouth High School; Raquel Meneses, Plattsmouth High School; Carlee Petereit, Plattsmouth High School; Natalie Briggs, Plattsmouth High School; Nataliya Roby, Plattsmouth High School; Avery Olmstead, Westside High School; Alexsandra Guevara and Selin Avalos, Lexington High School; Karleigh North, Gretna High School.
Yearbook Photo – first place, Kyleigh Southepmany, Lexington High School; second place, Mary Nilius, Westside High School; third place, Madison Sherwood, Dorchester High School; honorable mentions, Mary Nilius, Westside High School; Jacob Cerny, Dorchester High School; Ashton Rasplicka, Dorchester High School; Abbey Hess, Millard North High School; Delany Jepsen, Gretna High School; Mitzu Real, Dorchester High School; Hailey Schweitzer, Dorchester High School.
