Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Mary Hardin-Baylor Entry Title: Golf Facility Rolls Along Entry Credit: Brock Pfrommer Judge Comment: Some very good reporting and line of development. The story would be strengthened by following the money. How much is this going to cost? And a lead focusing on the state-of-the-art nature of the project and cost would make for a stronger story foundation.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: St. Edward's University Entry Title: Lone Star Conference recognizes NCAA student-athletes with high GPAs Entry Credit: Claire Lawrence Judge Comment: Good news judgment here, and the story is cleanly written and structured. It answers the news W's but could delve more into the How's. How do these students maintain such schedules and GPAs? That can be difficult when their initial response is a self-deprecating one, but persistence can pay off good insights to report on.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Mary Hardin-Baylor Entry Title: The Downfall of the ASC Entry Credit: Jackson Keenan Judge Comment: The reporter thoroughly explains the dilemma the conference faces, and he's demonstrated considerable enterprise in developing his sources. But there's scant input from MBH officials in the story. If they're not willing to discuss the subject, that should be front and center in telling the storythe story.
Competition Comment: The award-winning entries shared common traits of good news judgment and strong reporting that included very good interviewing. Other stories were very newsworthy in topic but lacked either local sourcing or sufficient interviews with the local sources.
