Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University’s Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists hosted its 26th Mark of Excellence Newspaper and Broadcasting awards ceremony March 8 at Mass Media and Technology Hall Auditorium.

Mark Goodman, executive director of the Student Press Law Center based in Arlington, Va., was the guest speaker. Approximately 300 students from 19 schools attended the awards ceremony.

The second James L. Highland High School Media Adviser of the Year Awards were presented to Gail Kirkland, Daviess County High School yearbook and newspaper adviser, and Amy Noles, Lyon County High School yearbook and newspaper adviser.

Twenty-three Kentucky high school newspapers and 15 broadcasting programs from Paducah to Crestwood entered the 2006 competition. Schools were judged in three divisions based on size.

Best high school newspaper awards went to Corbin in Class AA, Bowling Green in Class AAA and Daviess County in Class AAAA. The best broadcast awards went to Henry County in Class AA/AAA and Central Hardin in Class AAAA.

The most valuable newspaper staff member awards (overall for all classes) were presented to Joseph Moore of Graves County, first; Kelli Higginbotham of Glasgow, second; Melissa Davis of Assumption, third; and Meredith Beckner of Bowling Green, honorable mention.

The most valuable broadcast team member awards (overall for all classes) were presented to Regina Durkan of Elizabethtown, first; Seth Parker of Allen County-Scottsville, second; and Sarah Thompson of Fern Creek Traditional, third.

Here are the other results from the 26th Mark of Excellence contest:

Newspaper awards

Class AA

Best Column/Review Writer: first, Amanda Brown, Monroe County; second, Chelsea Evans, Corbin; third, Jeanie Doom, Lyon County; honorable mention, Tyler Estes, Glasgow.

Best Editorial Cartoonist: first, Adam Chapman, Moore Traditional; second, Scott Botts, Monroe County; third, C.J. Buford, Glasgow; honorable mention, Andrea LeFan, Lyon County.

Best Editorial Writer: first, Kayla Hurt, Lyon County; second, Derek Soete, Moore Traditional; third, Sarah Norris, Mercy Academy; honorable mention, Cecilee Harlan, Monroe County.

Best Feature Writer: first, Daniel Noble, Corbin; second, Ashley Crabtree, Monroe County; third, Kari Shealy, Moore Traditional; honorable mention, Ashley Wheeler, Glasgow.

Best Front Page Layout Designer: first, Ashley Logan, Corbin; Sarah Norris, Mercy Academy; third (tie), Jeanie Doom, Lyon County, and Cecilee Harland, Monroe County; honorable mention, Kelli Higginbotham, Glasgow.

Best High School Newspaper: first, Corbin; second, Monroe County; third (tie) Lyon County and Mercy Academy.

Best News Writer: first, Aubrey Villines, Lyon County; second, Kara Cooper, Corbin; third, Brooke High, Monroe County.

Best Newspaper Advertising: first, staff, Corbin; second, Angie Charles, Lyon County; third, Kelli Long, Monroe County; honorable mention, Whitney Haynes and Brianne Slatter, Mercy Academy.

Best Newspaper Photographer: first, Vanessa Steele, Corbin; second, Cecilee Harlan, Monroe County.

Best One-Page Spread Designer: first, Kelli Higginbotham, Glasgow; second, Kala Cross, Monroe County; third, Chelsea Evans, Corbin; honorable mention, Jeanie Doom, Lyon County.

Best Sports Writer: first, Lauren Hensley, Corbin; second, Autumn Witty, Monroe County; third, Kanetha Mack, Moore Traditional.

Best Two-Page Spread Designer: first, Kelli Higginbotham, Glasgow; second, Chelsea Evans, Corbin; third, Katy Jones, Lyon County.

Class AAA

Best Column/Review Writer: first, Nick Bennett, Drew Cash and Seth Willis, Breckinridge County; second, Chris Palmer, Bowling Green; third, Keanan Stewart, Muhlenberg North; honorable mention, Alex Heichelbech, South Oldham.

Best Editorial Cartoonist: first, Annie Erskine, Bowling Green; second, Jessica Wetterer, Assumption; third, Tony Bova, South Oldham.

Best Editorial Writer: first, Will Milliken, Bowling Green; second, Drew Cash, Breckinridge County; third, Katie Smothers, South Oldham.

Best Feature Writer: first, Jolene Bertetto, South Oldham; second, Amanda French, Assumption; third, Kayla Fugate, Franklin-Simpson.

Best Front Page Layout Designer: first, Julie Rosing, Bowling Green; second, Julianne Metzger, Franklin-Simpson; third, Zakk Gammon and Ryan Oberhelman, Allen County-Scottsville; honorable mention, Melissa Davis, Assumption, and Dana Deptola, South Oldham.

Best High School Newspaper: first, Bowling Green; second, South Oldham; third, Breckinridge County.

Best News Writer: first, Allyson Smith, South Oldham; second, Julie Rosing, Bowling Green; third, Taylor Carver, Allen County-Scottsville; honorable mention, Kaitlin Baetzel, Breckinridge County.

Best Newspaper Advertising: first, Sarah Bindner, Assumption; second, Amy Leslie, Breckinridge County; third, Carly Bray, Bowling Green; honorable mention, Kelly Berger, South Oldham.

Best Newspaper Photographer: first, Morgan Maxwell, Bowling Green; second, Sarah Cherry, Breckinridge County.

Best One-Page Spread Designer: first, Purple Gem staff, Bowling Green; second, Tony Cardon, Breckinridge County; third (tie), Magaret Lanham, Assumption, and Megan Swillinger, South Oldham; honorable mention, Ryan Oberhelman, Allen County-Scottsville.

Best Sports Writer: first, Lauren Gumm, South Oldham; second, Harrison Donnelly, Bowling Green; third, Katie Wallitsch, Assumption; honorable mention, Hailey Nichols, Allen County-Scottsville.

Best Two-Page Spread Designer: first, Erin Brink, South Oldham; second, Lauren Flaherty, Assumption; third, Keanan Stewart, Muhlenberg North; honorable mention, Megan Fentress, Breckinridge County.

Class AAAA

Best Column/Review Writer: first, William Paddock, North Hardin; second, Jeff Williams, DuPont Manual; third, Sara Raasch, Central Hardin; honorable mention, Steven Bilyeu, Trinity.

Best Editorial Cartoonist: first, Brittanie Ware, North Hardin; second, Shannon Musser, Graves County; third, Luke Ray, Daviess County.

Best Editorial Writer: first, Mary Kate Lindsey, DuPont Manual; second, Steven McDonald, North Hardin; third, Steven Bilyeu, Trinity; honorable mention, Kayla Dowdy, Barren County, and Megan Brantley, Daviess County.

Best Feature Writer: first, Serena Watkins, Graves County; second, Ellie Burch, Barren County; third, Allie Cripps, Daviess County.

Best Front Page Layout Designer: first, Rush Jagoe, Daviess County; second (tie), Kayla Dowdy, Barren County, and Joseph Moore, Graves County; third, Laura Wrocklage, DuPont Manual; honorable mention, staff, Trinity.

Best High School Newspaper: first, Daviess County; second, Trinity; third (tie), Graves County and North Hardin.

Best News Writer: first, Lindsay Russell, Graves County; second, Felicia Stinson, Barren County; third, Kate Sarkovich, DuPont Manual.

Best Newspaper Advertising: first, staff, Meade County; second, Clarice Bailey, North Hardin; third, Abbey Ward and Brent Mesplay, Daviess County; honorable mention, staff, Barren County.

Best Newspaper Photographer: first, James Dawson, Trinity; second, Savannah Gillispie, Barren County; third, Cambron Meredith, DuPont Manual.

Best One-Page Spread Designer: first, Megan Brantley, Daviess County; second, staff, Trinity; third, staff, Barren County; honorable mention, Serena Watkins, Graves County.

Best Sports Writer: first, Zach Greenwell, Meade County; second, Emily Cottrell, Central Hardin; third, Chris Rowen, DuPont Manual.

Best Two-Page Spread Designer: first, Vanessa Holland and Hanna Goetz, DuPont Manual; second, staff, Trinity; third, Steven McDonald and Justin Barrow, North Hardin; honorable mention, Natalie Doogs, Central Hardin.

Broadcasting awards

Class AA/AAA

Best Feature Story: first, Bradley Jones, Butler County; second, Ed Rogers and Alan Smith, Elizabethtown; third, Kaitlyn Foree and Shannon Martin, Henry County; honorable mention, staff, Hart County.

Best High School Broadcast: first, Henry County; second, South Oldham; third, Oldham County.

Best Music Video: first, Megan Imel, Tracy Tipton, Jodi Dunavan and Liz Smith, Henry County; second, Michael Simpson, Elizabethtown; third, Regina Durkan and Jordan Schneider, Elizabethtown; honorable mention, Kelli Long, Monroe County.

Best News Story: first, Michael Simpson, Elizabethtown; second, Jodi Dunavan, Henry County; third, Michael Simpson, Elizabethtown; honorable mention, staff, Hart County.

Best Newscast : first, staff, Elizabethtown; second, Derek Craigmyle and Kaitlyn Foree, Henry County; honorable mention, staff, Hart County.

Best Sports Story: first, Nathaniel Adams, Elizabethtown; second, staff, Hart County; third, Derek Craigmyle and Brittany Cottrell, Henry County.

Best Videography: first, Megan Imel, Tracy Tipton, Jodi Dunavan and Liz Smith, Henry County; second, Alan Smith, Elizabethtown; third, Andrew Gott, Elizabethtown; honorable mention, Drew Littrell, South Oldham.

Class AAAA

Best Feature Story: first, Breanna Stewart and Kristin Hyatt, Fern Creek Traditional; honorable mention, Austin Brown, Central Hardin.

Best High School Broadcast: first, Central Hardin; second, Fern Creek Traditional; third, North Hardin; honorable mention, Hopkins County Central.

Best News Story: honorable mention, Sarah Thompson, Fern Creek Traditional, and Heather Peach and Chris Adams, Waggener.

Best Newscast : first, Apollo; second, Fern Creek Traditional; third, Central Hardin; honorable mention, Daviess County.

Best Sports Story: honorable mention, Aaron Holmberg, Fern Creek Traditional.

Best Videography: first, staff, Daviess County; second, James Upton and Danny Beard, Waggener; honorable mention, Vandrick Parker, North Hardin.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Jackie Bretz at (270) 745-6407.