First Place, Sports Feature - Andy Morrison / The BladeHillsboro's Dustin Carter (left) squares off against Andrew Bertubin of Cambridge during their Division II 103-pound championship preliminaries at the 71st Annual State Wrestling Tournament in Columbus. Carter, who had parts of all of his limbs amputated due to a bacterial infection in his bloodstream at age 5, won the match.
Second Place, Sports Feature - Diego James Robles / Ohio UniversityAustin Sutliff, 16, of Reading, Pa., receives medical aid from Hocking College emergency medical technicians after being thrown-off and stepped-on by a bull, on Sept. 28, 2008, in Nelsonville. A cowboy for the past four years, Sutliff competes in the Bull Ride Mania rodeo circuit and similar competitions.
Third Place, Sports Feature - Dave Zapotosky / The BladeDrew Brown (left) and Seth Schmiesing, of the Erie County Bucks, celebrate a victory over the Darke County Warriors during the 2008 Special Olympics Ohio State Softball Tournament at the Coontz Recreation complex in Oregon, Ohio, September 6, 2008.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Amy Sancetta / Associated PressA horse is seen on the track after the eighth race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on May 2, 2008.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Adam Cairns / ThisWeek NewspapersColumbus School for Girls' Clare Connor collapses to the track after completing the 400-meter dash during the state track meet preliminaries at Ohio State's Jesse Owens Stadium on June 6. Gusty winds and temperatures in the 90s posed problems for many runners.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Scott Heckel / The RepositoryBrowns receiver Braylon Edwards climbed into the stands to kiss his sister Brooklyn Edwards after Cleveland's 20-12 win over the Bengals in Cincinnati. Behind them is Edward's mother Malesa Plater. Edwards scored a fourth quarter touchdown in the Browns first victory of the season.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Scott Heckel / The RepositoryPatrick Henry players mob Cody Meyer after he crossed the plate with the winning run in the Division IV state championship game in Columbus. Patrick Henry defeated Highland 10-0 in the game which ended after five innings due to the OHSAA's mercy rule. Highland catcher Justin Miller is visible at left.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - John Kuntz / The Plain DealerJon Lopez (right) a football player with Holy Name in Parma Heights holds the hand of Chris Buzinski,12, backstage before the curtain is drawn and Chris is introduced as one of the team's captains September 19, 2008. Chris has cerebral palsy and was able to spend the day going to classes with the football players before their final game of the season where Chris will participate in.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerHannah Rosinski, 13, of University Heights, skates across a patch of sunlight at the Cleveland Heights Community Center in June. Heights officials say their rink is thriving, but several other cities' rinks are struggling.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerLSU QB Matt Flynn kisses the coaches trophy as LSU-colored confetti falls after LSU defeated OSU in the Allstate BCS National Championship game, January 07, 2008 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Michael E. Keating / Cincinnati EnquirerDustin Carter is carried from the arena floor by his coach after he was eliminated from the tournament. His tears of disappointment were later replaced by his pride in "achieving a lifelong dream of participating in the state finals". Dustin Carter lost his arms and legs to a childhood blood infection.
Award of Excellence, Sports Feature - Michael E. Keating / Cincinnati EnquirerEight year-old Adam Bender drops his crutches and hops on to the pitchers mound to deliver the first pitch. Bender lost his leg to cancer as a one year-old, but still plays baseball in his hometown of Lexington, Ky..
, Sports Feature - Tracy Boulian / The Plain DealerTyler Warner, 11, of Dennison, a wrestler for Claymont, reacts after winning the 60 pound state title at the Ohio Youth Wrestling state tournament at Firestone High School in Akron on February 10, 2008. Warner has been wrestling for 6 years.
