Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Cloquet - Pine Knot News Entry Title: Horse race Entry Credit: Dave Harwig Judge Comment: Loved the action with horses straining, jockeys concentrating and clouds of dust in this image. Image seemed a little too tightly cropped for paper's front page but still a very good photo.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Monticello Times Entry Title: A Magical Graduation (graduation at sunset) Entry Credit: Jeffrey Hage Judge Comment: Nicely timed and captured image of graduates tossing caps into the air as sun begins to set. Well done.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Montgomery Messenger Entry Title: TCU announces Homecoming candidates Entry Credit: Wade Young Judge Comment: Photographer found a creative and clever way to illustrate a homecoming court during a pandemic by lining up candidates and placing letters on each person's mask to spell out "Homecoming."
Competition Comment: Leading images in this category include the strain and reactions of jockeys and horses in one image, another presents an artful way to illustration an outdoor graduation at sunset and a third offers a clever way to picture a Homecoming court. Also, many working as smaller papers are forced to be both reporter and photographer, presenting such staffers with a challenge to do right with both responsibilities. It's not easy.
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