Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Cardinal Columns Entry Title: Balancing Sports, School and Success Entry Credit: Logan Clark Judge Comment: This story uses an interesting feature of an athlete -- "she is busy" -- and nicely weaves it into a feature about her career. There also are two strong quotes that add to the story as well. Well done!
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: The Tosa Compass Entry Title: BEHIND THE DESK: Tosa West Athletic Director Kadeem Batts Entry Credit: Oskar Miorslaw, Felix Bucaro Judge Comment: This Q&A does a nice job of introducing readers to someone of importance. Lots of really interesting questions asked (and answered) here. My nit-pick is that I would like to see his "resume" to explain who you are talking to and why. But an enjoyable read!
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Tosa Compass Entry Title: Fall Sports Banquets Build Unity and Conclude Season Entry Credit: Ariyana Rhodes Judge Comment: This could be a very "dry" story, but the author has made sure it is not. Clever lede, and quotes from the athletes involved helped make this interesting. I would have liked to have heard from another athlete or two, but that also is a nit-pick. Good work!
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Wausau West High School Entry Title: That Bronze Medal Feeling Entry Credit: Grace Huggenvik Judge Comment: The lede is interesting, and there are quotes that back up the lede ... but they are too "low" in the story. The info about the family history is important, but it is too "high" in the story. It's a feature about Ella at the Games, and that info & quotes need to be higher. But there is too much good work done here to be ignored.
