Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: UT-Arlington Entry Title: Wings collapse Entry Credit: Isaac Appelt Judge Comment: The reporter not only identified and highlighted the key decision at a critical moment of the game but also got the perspectives of both of the key individuals involved (the coach and the player). That attention to detail made this article stand out above all the other entries and earn the top spot.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: UT-Austin Entry Title: Back to the Elite Eight Entry Credit: Amsal Madhani Judge Comment: When a game comes down to a big play in the final moments, it is imperative that a reporter puts the reader feel like they are right in the action. That was done well in the first five graphs, focusing the attention correctly on the drama at the end. The only thing that would've made this article better would've been to have the player who made the game-winning block describe the moment, giving the reader that peek into what she saw and felt as she made the game-winning play.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: A&M-College Station Entry Title: 3 seconds, 2 yards, 1 dream Entry Credit: Jordan Epp Judge Comment: This report had some beautiful writing that described the nail-biting final seconds of a big game. The line "Three seconds. Two yards. One dream." was something readers could immediately latch onto and understand. The problem was the structure of the article. Those gripping plays at the end need to be top priority, not buried behind graphs describing broader rivalry and injury aspects of the contest. Just a little tweaking of the organization could've made this effort elite.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: TCU Entry Title: A game of inches: TCU falls 31-28 to Kansas State in OT of Big 12 Championship Entry Credit: Micah Pearce Judge Comment: It can be challenging to figure out how to accurately depict a dramatic conclusion to a game that has so much on the line, but this reporter did well at highlighting many of the main points and selecting good quotes to provide perspective. The lede was clearly a weak point in the story since it didn't hook the reader to the true drama of the overtime period.
Competition Comment: There were clear indications in this contest that the reporters understood what they were covering and made efforts to engage the audience, which was great to see. Many, however, still get caught in the trap of chronological writing instead of telling the best stories to start their reports. Emphasizing the importance of leading by describing game-changing moments from the perspectives of those who participated will elevate the general game-story writing immensely.
