In NPW’s 2012 High School Communications Competition, Omaha Westside students captured first place in seven of the 16 categories that received submissions while Hastings students took home six first place awards. Other schools with submissions that placed first include Marian High with two and Grand Island Senior High with one first-place win.
Results were announced April 14 during the Nebraska Press Women’s spring convention Peru State College in Peru, Neb. Students entered work completed during 2011 in the contest, which included 18 different categories, from writing to photography to video entries.
The 2012 NPW High School Communications Competition drew 96 entries from five schools.
Schools that participated were Grand Island, Hastings, Marian, Omaha Westside and Fremont.
First place entries were forwarded to the National Federation of Press Women’s High School Communications Contest. National winners were announced in September during the national conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Complete state results are as follows with national winners are designated as N-1 for first place national, N-2 for second place, etc.:
Omaha Westside High School — Ali Tomek, first in editorial, first in sports; Aaron Calderon, first in news; Amelia Jensen, first in feature photo (N-3); Skylar Harris, first in review (N-2); Kate Laing, first in graphics/photo illustration; Sophie Goldberg, first in single-page layout (N-2); Allie Fisher, second in editorial, second in feature; Joe Hack, second in sports; Nick Seline, third in news; Emma Johanningsmeier, third in sports; Kate Laing, third in cartooning; Sara Gus, honorable mention in sports; Matt Sockrider, honorable mention in sports; Zane Fletcher, honorable mention in columns.
Hastings High School — Grace Kelly, first in feature; Hailey Hemenway, first in columns, third in single-page layout; Kelsey Christensen, first in double-truck layout, second in opinion; Shane Samuelson, first in video news (N-1) and video feature; Kelli Poplau, first in yearbook (N-3); Wyatt Davis, second in news, second in single-page layout; Megan Reiners, third in feature photo; Tori Halloran, third in graphics/photo illustration; Emily Zysset, honorable mention in sports.
Marian High School — Hannah Grace, first in opinion; Kalani Fortina, first in cartooning; Trinity Gleason and Rosalie Plofchan, third in editorial; Zoe Ursick, third in columns.
Grand Island Senior High — Miranda Wieczorek, first in sports photo, second in feature photo, second in graphics/photo illustration; Olivia Exstrum, second in columns, second in review, third in feature; Abbey Kutlas, honorable mention in news; Riley Menagh, honorable mention in feature; Alison Walsh, third in review, honorable mention in feature; Jessica Hughes, honorable mention in single-page layout.
Fremont High School — Kelsey Armagost, second in cartooning.
