By Mike Sherman, APSE First Vice President/Contest Chair
Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune took first place in the 2013 Associated Press Sports Editors contest for Projects in the 75,001 to 175,000 category for his series on life in the Los Angeles Angels system.
Kragthorpe, who traveled to ballparks from Anaheim through the team’s minor-league system to tell stories connecting the fans who love the game and the players striving to make the majors, will be presented a first-place plaque at the 2014 APSE Banquet June 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
Evan Woodbery of the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel took second place for his project on the downfall of University of Tennessee football. The Memphis (Tenn.) Commercial-Appeal team of
Kyle Veazey, Phil Stukenborg and John Varlas took third for their series on the 30th anniversary of a plane crash that killed a Memphis football coach, player and pilot. The top 10 is listed below with links to writers’ available Twitter pages and entries.
Sports editors in the 75,001 to 175,000 circulation category submitted 17 Project entries. Contest catchers numbered each entry, assuring they had been stripped of headlines, graphics, bylines and any other element that would identify the writer or news organization.
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 Project category showcases a collection of articles that shed new light on personalities and issues in the news, including trends and original ideas. Entries are limited to 10 stories, though additional material may be attached and read at the judges’ discretion. The material is not required to have appeared in a single day or on consecutive days.
The contest is open to APSE members. Go to this link to join.
2013 APSE Contest: Projects, 75,000 to 175,000 circulation
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Kurt Kragthorpe, The Salt Lake Tribune, (2) 53 points
Seven levels of Angels: ‘It’s a grind,’ even for Mike Trout
Seven Levels of Angels: Small-town Burlington treasures team
Seven Levels of Angels: Arkansas interns break into baseball
Seven levels of Angels: Orem Owlz play to their market, even on Sunday
Seven Levels of Angels: 66ers like to spice things up
Seven levels of Angels: No fanfare at the start
Seven Levels of Angels: Salt Lake's 20-year Team
Seven levels of Angels: Kendrick hits every stop on way to Anaheim
2. Evan Woodbery, Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel, 48 points
A road map for getting back: Study shows Vols' fall from glory years
How to build Tennessee's recruiting
3. Kyle Veazey, Phil Stukenborg and John Varlas, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.), (1), 39 points (Behind a paywall)
In Lawrenceburg 30 years ago, the men of the Quarterback Club had a tough decision to make
Wallene Dockery Leek: Miracle in the rubble
Legacy of the Crash: His life in the balance, pilot's son heard and heeded his late father's voice
4. Gary Schwab and David Scott, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, (1), 35 points
Jimmie Lee Kirkpatrick: Breaking through in North Carolina high school football
5. Henry J. Cordes, Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, (1), 33 points
STAYING IN THE GAME: Three concussions later, high school football player won't stop
STUCK ON THE SIDELINES: Inside one concussed player's fight to get back on the field
NU's sports, science collaboration could result in sideline concussion test
Football and concussions: Advocates say culture change needed among players and fans
Pioneering advances come into play in efforts to tackle football's concussion crisis
6. (tie) Todd Jones, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 31 points
Mixed martial arts in Ohio: Regulated mayhem
Safety rules lessen risks in MMA
MMA in Ohio: Dreams, not dollars
6. (tie) Bob Kravitz, Zak Keefer, Michael Pointer, Mike Wells and Curtis Harris, Indianapolis Star, 31 points
Bob Kravitz: Meet Roger Brown, the greatest player to never play in the NBA
Slick Leonard or Roger Brown may get Hall of Fame nod Friday
Pacers great Roger Brown elected to Basketball Hall of Fame
Roger Brown, once banned from NBA, makes Hall of Fame
Roger Brown's family and teammates reflect on his life before Basketball Hall of Fame induction
Reggie Miller: Hall of Famer Roger Brown built Pacers
8. Lori Riley, Dom Amore, Matt McDonough, Colin McDonough, Nick Greene, Matthew Conyers, Jeff Smith and Scott Powers, Hartford (Conn.) Courant, 24 points
Unified Sports Providing The Ultimate Buddy System
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Lauren Fountain
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Kas Colasanti
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Andy Zownir
Unified Sports: Partners On The Field And Off
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Louise Rivard
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Jordan Grossman
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Seth Greenberg
Profiles Of Unified Sports: Mary Nadeau
9. (tie) Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 18 points
Investment in athletics not translating to wins at UT
UT's Dodds doesn't foresee empire in ruins
9. (tie) Tim Stevens, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), 18 points (Behind a paywall)
How 300 pounds became magic number for high school football
2 high school football linemen put on nearly 90 pounds each in bid to play in college
At 335, Athens Drive player Curtis Hill is stronger, better than at 375
There are good and bad ways for athletes to gain weight
(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.)
