The Kansas Scholastic Press Association recognized more than 160 placing entries from 3A/4A students in the KSPA State Journalism Contests during the State Journalism Celebration on May 2 at the University of Kansas.
Leading in the sweepstakes competition were Halstead High School for class 3A and Chanute High School for class 4A. Jefferson West High School was the 3A runner-up and Bishop Miege High School was the 4A runner-up. For the first time, KSPA also recognized top-performing schools by contest type. Receiving honors were:
- 3A Design Contests Sweepstakes: Halstead, winner; and Jefferson West, runner-up.
- 3A Multimedia Contests Sweepstakes: Halstead, winner; and Phillipsburg High School, runner-up.
- 3A Photography Contests Sweepstakes: Halstead, winner; and Riley County High School, runner-up.
- 3A Writing Contests Sweepstakes: Jefferson West, winner; Halstead High School, runner-up.
- 4A Design Contests Sweepstakes: Chanute High School, winner; Bishop Miege High School, runner-up.
- 4A Multimedia Contests Sweepstakes: Abilene High School, winner; Chanute, runner-up.
- 4A Photography Contests Sweepstakes: Chanute, winner; Paola High School, runner-up.
- 4A Writing Contests Sweepstakes: Bishop Miege, winner; Chanute, runner-up.
More than 430 qualifying entries gave students who created them the opportunity to compete at state after students placed first through sixth during regional competitions earlier this semester. Students competed in writing, design, videography, multimedia and photography contests, responding to prompts.
Resources for schools:
- Promote your winners: Use this press release to promote the accomplishments of your students to your school, community newspapers and school districts.
- Different view: Review all placing entries on this spreadsheet and see a breakdown of the top point-earning schools here.
- Corrections: Final corrections requests due at noon on May 13
- 1A/2A Winners Announcement Link
- 3A/4A Winners Announcement Link
- 5A Winners Announcement Link
- 6A Winners Announcement Link
Design Contest Winners
Advertising Design (3A/4A)
1st Place — Maliha Maknojia, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Gracie Wheeler, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Bentley Strickland, Abilene High School
4th Place — Layla Reinecke, Chanute High School
5th Place — Kristin van Essen, Riley County High School – USD 378
6th Place — Madisyn Lopez, Chanute High School
Digital Illustration (3A/4A)
1st Place — Elise Oblepias, Bishop Miege High School
2nd Place — Alyssa Jordan, Augusta High School
3rd Place — Gracie Wheeler, Chanute High School
4th Place — Payge Vetsch, Jefferson West High
5th Place — Emalee Russell, Phillipsburg High School
6th Place — Jack Williams, Eudora High School
Editorial Cartoon (3A/4A)
1st Place — Kylie Allison, Jefferson West High
2nd Place — Sadie Lepper, Bishop Miege High School
3rd Place — Gracie Wheeler, Chanute High School
4th Place — Kynzie Weishaar, Halstead High School
5th Place — Ava Morrow, Jefferson West High
6th Place — Chloe Rosson, Caney Valley High School
Headline Writing & Design (3A/4A)
1st Place — Hadassah Burnett, Chanute High School
2nd Place — Josey Henson, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Kai Woods, Chanute High School
4th Place — Hannah Storey, Bishop Miege High School
5th Place — Bryn Sanders, Paola High School
6th Place — Emma Schemm, Halstead High School
Infographic Design (3A/4A)
1st Place — Gracie Wheeler, Chanute High School
2nd Place — Jack Gelhaus, Bishop Miege High School
3rd Place — Kynzie Weishaar, Halstead High School
4th Place — Madisyn Lopez, Chanute High School
5th Place — Osiris Unruh, Jefferson West High
6th Place — Guy Phillips, Jefferson West High
News Page Design (3A/4A)
1st Place — Bryn Sanders, Paola High School
2nd Place — Jada Richardson, Abilene High School
3rd Place — Izzy Higgins, Jefferson West High
4th Place — Elise Oblepias, Bishop Miege High School
5th Place — Kamrie Chestnut, Phillipsburg High School
6th Place — Jack Gelhaus, Bishop Miege High School
Yearbook Design (3A/4A)
1st Place — Caroline McCormick, Bishop Miege High School
2nd Place — Shea Cowan, Bishop Miege High School
3rd Place — Molly Claypool, Fort Scott High School
4th Place — Malina Paxton, Paola High School
5th Place — Quinn Conard, Halstead High School
6th Place — Sadie Claypool, Fort Scott High School
Yearbook Theme & Graphics (3A/4A)
1st Place — Malina Paxton, Paola High School
2nd Place — Maliha Maknojia, Halstead High School
3rd Place — Abby Blanchard, Chanute High School
4th Place — Valin Wood, Chanute High School
5th Place — Annie McGuire, Caroline McCormick, Bishop Miege High School
6th Place — Kolbi Wheat, Alysa Scott, Caney Valley High School
Multimedia Design Contests
Multimedia Storytelling (3A/4A)
1st Place — Izzy Higgins, Jefferson West High
2nd Place — Harriet Dean, Jefferson West High
3rd Place — Aaron Learn, Austin Schroeder, Kynzie Weishaar, Halstead High School
4th Place — Pierce Casteel, Braden Short, Jada Richardson, Luke Watson, Abilene High School
5th Place — Taryn Barry, Tyson Richling, Reggie McCloud, Halstead High School
6th Place — Scylar Stich, Jack Fickel, Chanute High School
Social Media (3A/4A)
1st Place — Ryan McKinney, Abilene High School
2nd Place — Sophia Hart, Mary Thompson, Bishop Miege High School, Link 2 & Link 3
3rd Place — Grace Walker, Fort Scott High School, Link 2 & Link 3
4th Place — Jacqueline Smoot, Chanute High School, Link 2
5th Place — Kamrie Chestnut, Ana Schemper, Phillipsburg High School, Link 2 & Link 3
6th Place — Jackson Sawyer, Wyatt Shaffett, Abilene High School,
Video PSA (3A/4A)
1st Place — Lydia Walker, Phillipsburg High School
2nd Place — Trenton Huhman, Abilene High School
3rd Place — Lydia Thompson, Kinlee Littleford, Harper Stallsmith, Caney Valley High School
5th Place — Taryn Barry, Tyson Richling, Halstead High School
6th Place — Aaron Learn, Austin Schroeder, Halstead High School
Video Sports Promo (3A/4A)
1st Place — Owen Tichenor, Abilene High School
2nd Place — Aaron Learn, Tyson Richling, Halstead High School
3rd Place — Judah Wheeler, Alex Helman, Gavon Wohl, Owen Catterson, Chanute High School
4th Place — Lexi Romiti, Major Hughey, Caney Valley High School
5th Place — Josie Old, Jefferson West High
6th Place — Ashton Coyle, Abilene High School
Video Story Package (3A/4A)
1st Place — Taryn Barry, Austin Schroeder, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Aaron Learn, Tyson Richling, Halstead High School
3rd Place — Kadence Grote, Phillipsburg High School
4th Place — Farrah Jackson, Aiva Price, Audrey Regis, Molleigh Kaminska, Caney Valley High School
5th Place — Jonavin Robinson, Jada Richardson, Abilene High School
6th Place — Paul Fessler, Bishop Miege High School
Voiceover (3A/4A)
1st Place — Aaron Learn, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Sofi Stalnaker, Augusta High School
3rd Place — Tayven Williams, Chanute High School
4th Place — Lydia Walker, Phillipsburg High School
Photography Contest Winners
Academics Photography (3A/4A)
1st Place — King McCloud, Halstead High School
2nd Place — William Jessup, Phillipsburg High School
3rd Place — Makayla Hilderbrand, Hiawatha High School
4th Place — Sydney Brown, Abilene High School
5th Place — Bailey Schulz, Chanute High School
6th Place — Farrah Jackson, Caney Valley High School
Sports Action Photography (3A/4A)
1st Place — Kaitlyn Ford, Chanute High School
2nd Place — Kynleigh Oliver, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Graci Hanson, Riley County High School – USD 378
4th Place — Quinn Conard, Halstead High School
5th Place — Trent Ridinger, Eudora High School
6th Place — Paul Olson, Bishop Miege High School
Sports Feature Photography (3A/4A)
1st Place — Brayden Baker, Chanute High School
2nd Place — Addison Boehm, Paola High School
3rd Place — Quinn Conard, Halstead High School
4th Place — Kayden Clelland, Silver Lake High School
5th Place — Graci Hanson, Riley County High School – USD 378
6th Place — Kynleigh Oliver, Chanute High School
Sports Media Portrait Photography (3A/4A)
1st Place — Reggie McCloud, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Paul Olson, Bishop Miege High School
3rd Place — Addison Boehm, Paola High School
4th Place — Osiris Unruh, Jefferson West High
5th Place — Taryn Barry, Halstead High School
6th Place — Jacqueline Smoot, Chanute High School
Student Life Photography (3A/4A)
1st Place — King McCloud, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Malina Paxton, Paola High School
3rd Place — Alexzandra Anderson, Riley County High School – USD 378
4th Place — Martin Epperson, Jr., Augusta High School
5th Place — Bailey Schulz, Chanute High School
6th Place — Quinn Conard, Halstead High School
Writing Contest Winners
Copyediting (3A/4A)
1st Place — Abigail Stansbury, Girard HIgh School
2nd Place — Madisyn Lopez, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Josie Gronau, Girard HIgh School
4th Place — Kadiance Salyers, Halstead High School
5th Place — Mary Aguilera, Bishop Miege High School
6th Place — Jacob Gallagher, Hiawatha High School
Cutline Writing (Captions) (3A/4A)
1st Place — Mady Runyon, Phillipsburg High School
2nd Place — Lanie Webb, Jefferson West High
3rd Place — Ana Schemper, Phillipsburg High School
4th Place — Frankie Brewington, Bishop Miege High School
5th Place — Bailey Schulz, Chanute High School
6th Place — Madysyn Myers, Caney Valley High School
Editorial Writing (3A/4A)
1st Place — Pearl Hall, Jefferson West High
2nd Place — Gracie Wheeler, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Hailey Hodge, Bishop Miege High School
4th Place — ElizaBeth Emery, Chanute High School
5th Place — Nathan Smith, Neodesha High School
6th Place — Lucy Hay, Paola High School
Feature Writing (3A/4A)
1st Place — Maliha Maknojia, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Cayden Crewse, Winfield High School
3rd Place — Abigail Brinkley, Augusta High School
4th Place — Samantha Mohlman, Bishop Miege High School
5th Place — Peyton Selby, Abilene High School
6th Place — Luci Switzer, Bishop Miege High School
News Writing (3A/4A)
1st Place — Hailey Hodge, Bishop Miege High School
2nd Place — Eric Erbe, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Valorie Solida, Phillipsburg High School
4th Place — Emily Brinkley, Augusta High School
5th Place — Emma Lonergan, Bishop Miege High School
6th Place — Hadassah Burnett, Chanute High School
Newspaper Sports Writing (3A/4A)
1st Place — Tess Williams, Halstead High School
2nd Place — Logan Weilert, Chanute High School
3rd Place — Laina Vossen, Bishop Miege High School
4th Place — Jennika Ruark, Chanute High School
5th Place — Emma DeLong, Winfield High School
6th Place — Brooke Gaff, Caney Valley High School
Review Writing (3A/4A)
1st Place — Hailey Hodge, Bishop Miege High School
2nd Place — Aya McPeak, Hiawatha High School
3rd Place — Brooklyn Newland, Neodesha High School
4th Place — Brayden Baker, Chanute High School
5th Place — Garrett Morey, Hiawatha High School
6th Place — Jacqueline Smoot, Chanute High School
Yearbook Copywriting (3A/4A)
1st Place — Hadassah Burnett, Chanute High School
2nd Place — June Klenk, Jefferson West High
3rd Place — Julia Thompson, Jefferson West High
4th Place — Mary Aguilera, Bishop Miege High School
5th Place — Emma Schemm, Halstead High School
6th Place — Tess Williams, Halstead High School
Yearbook Sports Writing (3A/4A)
1st Place — Martin Epperson, Jr., Augusta High School
2nd Place — Graci Hanson, Riley County High School – USD 378
3rd Place — Laina Vossen, Bishop Miege High School
4th Place — Hannah Meyer, Jefferson West High
5th Place — Luci Switzer, Bishop Miege High School
6th Place — Ezra Spiller, Rock Creek High School