2015 ONPA Pictures of the Year

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

RJ Hickey, bloody after a loss 48 seconds into the second round of an MMA fight against Tommy Metzger, pauses before being cleaned up by his coaches.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Madlynn Chandler, 8, hugs her older sister, Ashley Brown as balloons are sent up into the air to honor the life of Taylor Gartner. Chandler was a classmate and friend of Taylor's who is now grieving the death of her young friend.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Ed Jewett and Mathew Smith assist Father Wilson as alter boys at Blessed Sacrament. Father Wilson held a special Lenten Mass for the students before Holy week began.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Taven, 5 falls on the Autism spectrum, loves playing with the doors in his new home. His mom, Savannah, watches him amused from the kitchen, happy they finally have a safe place to call home.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Prophet Johnson, right, exits a Licking County Juvenile courtroom Friday afternoon. Johnson was ordered to be held in the Multi-County Juvenile Detention Facility in Lancaster.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

EJ Reed lands a jab on cruiserweight opponent, Matt Anderson, at the Arnold Championship Boxing Match, March 07, 2015. Reed won the bout by unanimous decision.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Bonnie Rinato sits on the floor and plays with her daughter, Katie Lapenta after returning from school. Rinato is the home health care aide for her daughter who is now 25 and has developmental disabilities.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Backstage at the Midland Theater, young dancers put on their stage make-up before the opening night performance of the Nutcracker.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Leo Crosby of Zanesville loses by pin in the state wrestling championship consolation quarterfinals. Crosby was the first wrestler from Zanesville to make it to the state meet in over 30 years.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Adam Runyons' family reacts after he spoke at his hearing Monday afternoon. Runyons pleaded guilty to the murder of his father in May 2014. He received 18 years-life in prison for brutally killing his father with a machete.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Jamie "The Pitbull" Walker becomes emotional after learning of his victory over Alejandro Hernandez. Walker won the rematch by majority decision on November 25, 2015.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Students at St. Francis follow along with mass in their hymnals. Bishop Frederick F. Campbell gave mass Tuesday at St. Francis DeSales to students from Newark Catholic, Blessed Sacrament and St. Francis. Campbell, who is the Bishop of Columbus came to Newark to help celebrate Catholic School Week.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Members of the Licking County Veterans Alliance color guard prepare to open the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast. The Licking County Veterans Alliance was honored with the Military Hero award at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast Tuesday morning. The Veterans Alliance and provide military honors for funerals of veterans for no charge.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Miles Delmindo is helped by his coach, Matt Voltolini, just before taking the ring at his debut professional boxing match. The fight, which Delmindo won, was fought under the hot sun at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

The four Hitchens sisters truly are queen sisters. And this year they are making history: All four girls are involved in the Miss Ohio pageant. Amelia, who is the oldest, has moved up to the Miss Ohio category while her younger sisters, Abbey and Katie, competed against in each other in the Miss Ohio's Outstanding Teen pageant. The girls came by their interest in pageants honestly; their mother, Gina Hitchens, competed when she was younger in Michigan and Indiana. These experiences have made them closer as a family, and the girls' support of one another stronger. Competing against each other is hard they say, "because even though we all want to win, we also want our sisters to win just as bad." A week before the Miss Ohio Pageant, all four Hitchens sisters (Amelia, Abbey, Katie and Meggan), gathered in the Granville High School Auditorium to practice their talents and walking in their evening gowns. Katie was especially excited for her talent, magic, because it plays off a routine her mom, Gina, performed when she was competing in pageants. The costume Katie wore was the same one her mom wore 28 years ago.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Amelia, Katie and their mom, Gina Hitchens, watch as Abbey Hitchens practices for her talent portion of the pageant on the piano in the Granville High School Auditorium. The sisters were all practicing for their talent performances to get the feel of being on stage ahead of the Miss Ohio pageant.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - / Newark Advocate

Abbey Hitchens spends a Saturday afternoon with her mom and sister, Katie (both not pictured) practicing responses for the question and answer section.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Abby Hitchens laughs as she escorts her sister, Katie, across the stage while the sisters rehearse for the Miss Outstanding Teen competition. Abby who is the older sister is also much shorter than Katie.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Tiaras sit on the dining room table from the Hitchens sisters local competitions where they won titles qualifying them to the State pageant Miss Ohio and Miss Ohio Outstanding Teen.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Katie Hitchens finishes an iced latte while sitting in the salon at JC Penny's. Katie had to get the color in her hair fixed before the Miss Ohio Outstanding Teen pageant the following week.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

It's just days before the Hitchens family packs everything up ion their RV to spend the week in Mansfield for the Miss Ohio pageant. All four sisters and their mom hurried to get dresses ironed and hemmed, shoes cleaned, jewelry packed and cram in last minute practice walking in heels.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

It is common for friends and families to place posters and signs of whoever they are supporting on chairs to reserve them before the pageant begins. Gina Hitchens made up signs with photographs of all four of her daughters who were all participating in the Miss Ohio pageant.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Moments before the girls go onstage to compete for the Miss Ohio Outstanding Teen title, they stand in a circle holding their pinkies fingers together saying good luck to one another.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Abbey Hitchens is hugged by Rosie Westerbeck, the 2014 Miss Ohio Outstanding Teen as she accepts her her flowers as second runner up in the pageant.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Stacey Heath was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer in June. After much thought she opted for a mastectomy on heft breast and a DIEP flap tissue reconstruction. During her surgery, however, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she was upgraded to stage 3 cancer. This meant her battle with cancer would be longer than originally thought. After recovering from her surgery Stacey began her chemotherapy treatment.

It's two weeks and one day after her mastectomy, and the discovery that the cancer spread to her lymph nodes.Stacey went back to Columbus to talk with Dr. Lilly about her new treatment plan.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

It's the evening before her surgery and Stacey Heath is surrounded by loved ones; her pastor and his wife, her parents and her husband. They gather in prayer for her safe recovery, for the doctors, for her children. Tears are shed, tensions released and the atmosphere in the room seems lighter after praying.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Just before bed, Anna Kate becomes anxious and breaks down. She runs to her mom, begging her not to leave in the morning. Stacey holds her close telling her everything will be fine and that she loves her very much. Once Anna Kate's tears stop, her parents and grandparents get her to bed and finish preparations for the morning.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Plastic surgeon, Dr. Tiwari checks Stacey's heartbeat as she slowly comes out of the anesthesia. Stacey's mastectomy and reconstructive surgery lasted about six hours. In that time, Darin never left the hospital, waiting anxiously for any update from the doctors. The world crashed around him when Dr. Lilly informed him the cancer had in fact spread to Stacey's lymph nodes.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Stacey took her second walk through the hospital hallways when her family came to visit. As she neared her room, Darin and Noah ran ahead to hold a finish line up to encourage Stacey.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

Four days after her mastectomy, Stacey was released from the hospital. On the drive home, one of her drains slipped out. Stacey collapsed on the couch, exhausted and in pain while her mom and husband took care of her.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

After Dr. Lilly left the exam room, Stacey began to cry. She had just received the news her breast cancer was a more aggressive form of cancer, but one that was easy to treat. Her tears were tears of joy mixed with exhaustion. This was the news they had been hoping for since the devastating news the cancer had spread.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - / Newark Advocate

Since Stacey's breast cancer diagnosis, her daughter Anna Kate has stayed closer to her mom. They spent this lazy day off in bed watching TV shows together in between naps.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - / Newark Advocate

Stacey has become a walking pharmacy with perceptions for nausea, diarrhea and pain.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - / Newark Advocate

Stacey Heath spends time with her cat, Bob. When clumps of hair began to fall out, Stacey called on her friend to help her cut off her hair. It was 14 days after her first chemotherapy treatment and right on schedule with what her doctors had told her.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

After her first round of chemo Stacey had to check herself into the local hospital due to a dangerously high fever. She was in the hospital for three days.

First Place, Photographer of the Year - Small Market - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

While trying on wigs at Stefanie Spielman Cancer Center Stacey realizes her eyelashes have also fallen out.