By Mike Sherman, APSE First Vice President/Contest Chair
Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty’s story on former Bengal Reggie Williams’ fight to save his leg, took first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors 2013 contest in the Feature Writing category for 75,001 to 175,000 circulation news organizations.
Daugherty will be presented a two first-place plaques at the 2014 APSE Banquet June 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. He also took first in the 75-175K Column Writing category.
Daugherty split six first-place votes for Feature Writing with runner-up Perryn Keys of The Advocate in Baton Rouge, La. (The zen of Steve Gleason) and third-place finisher Dirk Chatelain of the Omaha World-Herald (The disappearance of small-town football). The top 10 is listed below with links to each writers’ Twitter pages and entries.
In early March, preliminary judges at the APSE Winter Conference in Indianapolis selected a top 10, with each judge ranking the entries in order from 1 to 10 separately on a secret ballot. Entries were given 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second and so on down to 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The final 10 were given to a second judging group, which ranked the entries 1-10 in the same fashion. The winner and final rankings are determined by tallying the ballots.
The Feature category is judged on human interest, reader interest, quality of writing and thoroughness of reporting. Each member news organization was permitted up to three entries in this category.
The contest is open to APSE members. Go to this link to join.
2013 APSE Contest: Feature Writing, 75,001 to 175,000 circulation
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati Enquirer, (2), 54 points
Ex-Bengal Reggie Williams fighting to save his leg
2. Perryn Keys, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), (2), 46 points
The zen of Steve Gleason — always up to the challenge
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SMALL-TOWN FOOTBALL
4. Evan Woodbery, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel, 39 points
Vanderbilt coach James Franklin maintains around-the-clock intensity
6. Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.), 34 points
Southwest Community College player wins in and on court
7. Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman, 32 points
How 105-year-old Delmar Hopkins became a Remington Park icon
8. Kyle Veazey, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.), 22 points
9. Rich Campbell, The Washington Times, 13 points
Redskins receiver Leonard Hankerson learning to manage family life with football career
10. Todd Jones, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 11 points
NBA: Sullinger quietly making an impression
(Mike Sherman, APSE first vice president and contest chair, is sports editor of The Oklahoman. Email him at msherman@opubco.com, follow him at @MikeSherman or call 405-475-3164.)
