By Mike Sherman, APSE First Vice President/Contest Chair
Kevin Tresolini of The News Journal in Wilmington, Del. took first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors 2013 contest in the breaking news category in the 75,001-175,000 circulation category for his story on the firing of Delaware football coach K.C. Keeler.
Keeler’s firing one month before national signing day was so shocking that fans on a Delaware football message board wondered whether Tresolini’s Twitter account had been hacked.
Tresolini will be presented a first-place plaque at the 2014 APSE Banquet June 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
Balloting by six APSE judges ranked Tresolini ahead of runner-up Chip Alexander of the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. and third-place finisher Justin Barney of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. The remainder of the top 10 is listed below in order of finish with links to entries and writers' Twitter pages.
Sports editors in the 75,001-to-175,000 circulation category submitted a total of 51 breaking news entries written or directed by APSE member sports departments in 2013. 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.
This category recognizes the best story off a sports news development (trades, hirings, firings, franchise shifts, etc.) that occurred in the most recent news cycle.
Online or print stories are eligible. Judges weighed the various elements of a breaking news story, including timeliness, thoroughness, exclusivity and significance. Cover letters explaining these elements are permitted in this category.
The contest is open to APSE members. Go to this link to join.
2013 APSE Contest: Breaking News, 75,001 to 175,000 circulation
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Kevin Tresolini, The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.), (3 first-place votes), 55 points
2. Chip Alexander, News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (2 first-place votes), 49 points
Canes, NC State in potentially costly dispute over use of PNC Arena
3. Justin Barney, Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville), 45 points
Family: Ryan Freel was suffering from brain disease CTE
4. Ralph Haurwitz and Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman, 38 points
Sources: Dodds to announce retirement Tuesday
5. Ira Kaufman and Roy Cummings, Tampa Tribune (1 first-place vote), 36 points
Freeman misses Buccaneers’ annual team photo
6. Brian Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 29 points
Texas’ Mack Brown resigns after 16 seasons as Longhorns head coach
7. Aaron Portzline, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 24 points
Blue Jackets' new GM brings a scout’s touch
8. Ryan Autullo, The Blade (Toledo, Ohio), 23 points
UT track coach resigned in wake of texts to athlete
9. Tim May, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 17 points
Ohio State football: Hyde suspended; Roby arrested
10. Martin Frank, The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.), 14 points
Riley Cooper apologizes for racial slur caught on tape
(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.)
