Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: St. Peter Herald Entry Title: St. Peter senior athlete moves past the intolerance, hopes to inspire Entry Credit: Ben Camp, Philip Weyhe Judge Comment: I appreciated the way a sensitive issue was handled with care by the writer. It was also a winner with how many voices were featured throughout the story with multiple interviews.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Cambridge/North Branch-County News Review Entry Title: McDonald keeps the family business humming Entry Credit: John Wagner Judge Comment: This had to be a fun one for the reporter to play with. I especially liked the lead, culminating with the quote from the wife/mom. I thought the author did a good job talking through the multitude of McDonalds without it getting confusing for the reader, as well. It was a fun read--even for a non local.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Kimball - Tri-County News Entry Title: For this family, it's all about baseball (Marquardts) Entry Credit: Jean Matua Judge Comment: I especially liked the unique way the reporter organized this feature--giving each family member their own section. I thought it was a neat way to organize the information.
Competition Comment: There was some solid reporting in this category. I ended up focusing my vote on not only the quality of writing/reporting but also on the creativity of the various reporters in how they approached their subjects.
