Post-Crescent brings home 22 awards from Wisconsin Newspaper Association competition

Staff
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MADISON - The Post-Crescent's photographers and reporters were among the winners Friday in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation's Better Newspapers Contest, bringing 22 awards back to the Fox Valley.

The awards were given during a ceremony that capped WNA's annual convention. The WNA Foundation is a nonprofit organization created in 1980 that works to improve Wisconsin’s newspaper enterprises.

"I'm extremely proud of The Post-Crescent's team," Taima Kern, who stepped into the role of editor for The Post-Crescent in January, said Friday. "They work tirelessly to serve the greater Appleton area and the state, and these 22 entries selected for recognition by our peers are just a fragment of that dedication."

The contest received 2,230 entries from 106 newspapers, which are separated in most categories by readership size and daily versus weekly publications. The Arkansas Press Association judged this year's eligible entries, which were published between Sept. 1, 2021, and Aug. 31, 2022.

Here's what to know about The Post-Crescent's awards:

Photojournalists get five first-place awards

Appleton West High School's Lomona Ilunga (17) tries to score a goal against Winneconne High School's Malik Jenns (0) during their boys soccer game Tuesday, August 30, 2022, in Appleton, Wis. West won 5-0.
Appleton West High School's Lomona Ilunga (17) tries to score a goal against Winneconne High School's Malik Jenns (0) during their boys soccer game Tuesday, August 30, 2022, in Appleton, Wis. West won 5-0.

Photojournalists William Glasheen and Dan Powers established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the photo and video categories, collecting five first-place awards.

High school sports and Appleton's annual Mile of Music were the subjects of all of Glasheen's and Powers' winning entries.

The judge pointed to "great faces, peak action and composition" as the reason behind Powers' win in the Sports Action Photo category for a photo of Appleton West's Lomona Ilunga and Winneconne's Malik Jenns colliding during an Aug. 30, 2022, soccer match.

The judge wrote that Glasheen's Artistic Photo winner of Muddy Ruckus performing during Mile of Music was a "great shot" with color and detail that "really captures the mood!"

Muddy Ruckus performs at Deja Vu Martini Lounge during the second day of Mile of Music 9 on Friday, Aug 5, 2022 in Appleton, Wis.
Muddy Ruckus performs at Deja Vu Martini Lounge during the second day of Mile of Music 9 on Friday, Aug 5, 2022 in Appleton, Wis.

Powers and Glasheen teamed on coverage of Mile of Music to win the Photo Essay category, with the judge writing, "A lot of hard work went into this project. Captivating photos. Lots of names and faces. The Post-Crescent should be commended for allocating the time, space and resources to such a project. These sorts of stories and photo essays remind your readers why newspapers continue to play an important role in their daily lives."

Powers also took first in Sports Feature Photo for a photo from the WIAA Division 1 boys hockey tournament game between Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha and De Pere from February 2022, with the judge noting, "Nice moment that tells the story in one image."

De Pere Voyageurs' Martin Blaha (18) hangs his head as Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha players celebrate their victory during their WIAA Division 1 boys hockey sectional semifinal game Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at Community First Champion Center in Grand Chute, Wis. The Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha Rockets won 5-4.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
De Pere Voyageurs' Martin Blaha (18) hangs his head as Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha players celebrate their victory during their WIAA Division 1 boys hockey sectional semifinal game Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at Community First Champion Center in Grand Chute, Wis. The Neenah/Hortonville/Menasha Rockets won 5-4.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Glasheen won the Best Video category for his Courage Award video from the Northeast Wisconsin High School Sports Awards.

From the judge: "Very impressed how much planning went into the video, evidenced by the amount of B-roll footage obtained. Well done at highlighting the strength — and courage — of this warrior."

Collaboration key among second-place awards

The Post-Crescent took second place in the Best Front Page and Best Sports Page categories.

The Best Front Page entry was a collection of pages including the May 22, 2022, edition, featuring a story by reporter Chris Mueller about the history of abortion access in Wisconsin and how death certificates hid several abortion-related deaths and the Sept. 5-6, 2021, combined Labor Day edition, which featured a story by Natalie Brophy on factors driving workforce shortages and a main story by Mueller centered on a survivor of child sexual assault.

The Best Sports Page entry was a collection of pages including the Oct. 17, 2021, edition, which featured coverage of the WIAA football and girls tennis tournaments and the Green Bay Packers, and the Feb. 13, 2022, edition, which included stories on prep girls basketball, a Wisconsin Olympian and the Packers.

Chad Nissen, left, and Brian Van Loo, both of Appleton, started Locally Sauced seven years after a serendipitous meeting at Bergstrom and big win on Draft Kings.
Chad Nissen, left, and Brian Van Loo, both of Appleton, started Locally Sauced seven years after a serendipitous meeting at Bergstrom and big win on Draft Kings.

Food and drink reporter Dan Higgins took second place in the Feature Story (Profile) category for his story on Locally Sauced, a food truck started after one of its owners won big with fantasy football on the betting website Draft Kings.

Madeline Heim took second place in the Coronavirus Coverage category for her look inside ThedaCare's COVID-19 unit in September 2021.

Registered nurse Lauren Zanders offers her hand to help a patient sit up in the COVID unit at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center Appleton on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, in Appleton, Wis.
Registered nurse Lauren Zanders offers her hand to help a patient sit up in the COVID unit at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center Appleton on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, in Appleton, Wis.

"Covering COVID-19 is more than noting that beds are not available at most hospitals; it’s also showing the unreported stories that need to be told. And these stories do that," judges wrote. "They meet the criteria of accuracy, completeness, clarity, enterprise and journalistic impact, but they also use a variety of sources and interviews to show how a day feels at work, how nurses are being trained, the inability to accept patients or transfers and the death of patients."

Powers also took second place in the Feature Photo category for his photo of photographer Morgan Rindahl as she worked a fashion shoot for Tiffani's Bridal in downtown Appleton.

Taylor Stellmacher, left, and Brendan Smith pose for a fashion shoot by Morgan Rindahl, right, Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in dowtnown Appleton, Wis. Rindahl was creating the fashion shoot for Tiffani's Bridal.
Taylor Stellmacher, left, and Brendan Smith pose for a fashion shoot by Morgan Rindahl, right, Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in dowtnown Appleton, Wis. Rindahl was creating the fashion shoot for Tiffani's Bridal.

Third-place awards go to rookie reporter, stories, photo gallery

Kelli Arseneau took third place in the Rookie Reporter of the Year competition for a collection of stories — on challenges Afghan evacuees face, on two women who bonded through in vitro fertilization surrogacy and on a retired judge who was murdered.

Heim claimed third place in the Environmental Reporting category for her February 2022 story on the impact of climate change on Wisconsin's many outdoor winter traditions. Judges called it a "well-written story on another threat posed by climate change in a traditionally cold-weather state: the possible damage to winter outdoor activities from shorter periods of heavy snow and thick lake ice."

Madison Lammert took third place in the Coronavirus Coverage category for her breakdown answering questions for area parents after it was announced children under 5 could get the COVID-19 vaccine.

"This story includes coverage of when to vaccine, parental control, sources from keepers of children, and quotes for several sources. Excellent reporting with a much broader approach," judges wrote. "Clearly, the story shows accuracy, is complete, had clarity and enterprise, and journalistic impact."

Powers took third place in the Photo Gallery category for his collection of photos of drag performers both on stage and backstage at The ReMixx.

Eight receive honorable mention

The Post-Crescent received honorable mention in the General Excellence category and several photo and story categories:

Appleton West goalkeeper AJ Jazdzewski stops a shot by Green Bay East's Ellana Gallegos as West's Gwen Konkle defends during their soccer game Thursday at West.
Appleton West goalkeeper AJ Jazdzewski stops a shot by Green Bay East's Ellana Gallegos as West's Gwen Konkle defends during their soccer game Thursday at West.
Post Crescent baseball player of the year Hortonville High School’s Thomas Burns on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Hortonville, Wis.
Post Crescent baseball player of the year Hortonville High School’s Thomas Burns on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, in Hortonville, Wis.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin wins three awards

In addition to The Post-Crescent's 22 awards, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin won three awards, including one first place:

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Post-Crescent recognized in Wisconsin Newspaper Association contest

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