WKU Student Newspaper Wins Louisville SPJ Competition

July 09, 2007

Bowling Green, Ky. - It was a clean sweep for the College Heights Herald in its first-ever participation in the Metro Louisville Society of Professional Journalists competition.

The Herald, Western Kentucky University’s student newspaper, won all six collegiate categories in the 27th annual contest sponsored by the Louisville SPJ chapter.

Winners were Bowling Green junior Corey Paul, best news story; Nashville senior Leah Caudle, best feature story; May 2006 graduate Jake Mitchell, best sports story; May 2007 graduate Ashlee Clark, best editorial, Kari Collins, senior from Dayton, Ohio, best news photography; Bowling Green senior Jeff Giraldo, best feature photography; and Greg Barnette, a senior from Birmingham, Ala., best sports photography.

The features category was a sweep with Hopkinsville senior Tavia Green placing second and Paul finishing third. Ed Linsmier, a December graduate, was second in news photography and Sara Holcombe, a senior from Vancleave, Miss., was second in sports photography. In another sweep, Louisville junior Elsa Hanson was second in best feature photography while brother Christian, also a Louisville junior, was third.

Former Herald reporters also took home honors in the Greater Louisville competition.

In the Metro division, Mike Lindenberger of LEO was second in best news story and first in minority affairs and Andy Lyons of Getty Images was second in sports photography.

In the non-metro newspaper division, Lisa Tolliver of The Kentucky Standard was first in editorial writing and third in column writing.

In the magazine category, Shannon Leonard-Boone was first in service reporting and Lindenberger, Louisville Magazine, was third in health care reporting.

The awards were presented June 28. The Greater Louisville contest entries were drawn from television, radio, newspapers and magazines in 19 Kentucky counties and seven southern Indiana counties. The collegiate division included all of Kentucky and southern Indiana.

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For information, contact Bob Adams at (270) 745-6278.