Kyle Goon of The Baltimore Banner won first place in the Division B column writing category of the 2025 Associated Press Sports Editors contest.
Contestants in the column writing category entered four-part portfolios, including one piece with a mandatory strong opinion. Goon submitted a portfolio that included pieces on massage therapists’ accusations of inappropriate behavior by then-Ravens kicker Justin Tucker; the impact Cal Ripken Jr. made on a young Baltimore native; Derik Queen’s bank shot that lifted Maryland past Colorado State; and John Harbaugh’s visit to the Trump White House.
APSE contest winners will be honored at the 2026 APSE Summer Conference banquet July 18 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. Registration for the conference is open; you can register right here.
Goon will receive a first-place plaque. The second- through 10th-place finishers will receive frame-worthy certificates.
Sports editors submitted 51 entries in the Division B column writing category. Contest chair Perryn Keys and APSE officers Paul Barrett, Erik Hall and Tony Maluso prepared the entries.
Contest results: Digital, print and podcasts | Writing and photography
Judges convened in late February, in person at the APSE Winter Conference in Las Vegas and remotely around the nation, to select the top entrants, reading 204 total pieces in the category. The committee determined 10 finalists, with each judge ranking the entries in order from 1 to 10. The final 10 were given to a second judging group in late February and March, ranking the entries from Nos. 1 to 10 in the same fashion.
The final rankings are determined by tallying the ballots.
The top 10 are listed, with first-place votes in parentheses, along with links to the winning entries.
The contest is open to APSE members. Click here to join.
1. Kyle Goon, The Baltimore Banner (4) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
2. Gregg Doyel, IndyStar (1) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
3. Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel (1) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
4. Bill Oram, The Oregonian 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
5. Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
6. Zach Osterman, IndyStar 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
7. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
8. Scott Hamilton, The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
9. Vahe Gregorian, The Kansas City Star 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
10. Joe Starkey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
