ATHENS - Jessica Phelps capped off an extraordinary week in the world of contests winning the
ONPA small market Photographer of theYear title for the third year in a row Meg Vogel won
the POY title for the large market division.

Phelps also won the first place award for the James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award for
her entry “The View From Phoenix,” which told the story about eight-year-old Phoenix
Lucterhand who was diagnosed with autism. She also won the first place award for the Ron
Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year. Phelps also won first place awards for sports feature
and sports picture story and placed second in feature picture story and won an award of
excellence in the portrait category.

Earlier this week Phelps was also named Photojournalist of the Year for small markets in the 2017
Best of Photojournalism competition sponsored by the National Press Photographers. She is only
the third photographer working in Ohio to win the award. George A. Smallsreed, Jr. from The
Columbus Dispatch was the NPPA Photographer of the Year in 1957. In 1973 Kurt E. Smith from
the Lorain Journal was the NPPA / Missouri Pictures of the Year Newspaper Photographer of the
Year.

In addition to her POY title Vogel placed second in the Ohio Understanding Award for her story
which followed a family Syrian refugees for their first year living in this country. Vogel also
has six individual wins in the contest and also was a team member in three video entries won by
the Enquirer. Andrea Noall from Kent State University won the Chuck Scott Student
Photographer of the Year award. Andy Morrison from The (Toledo) Blade was awarded Best
of Show in the contest for his story, “Cow & Diann.”

Kyle Robertson from The Columbus Dispatch was named Clip Photographer of the Year from
points accumulated in the Association’s Monthly Clip Contest. Andy Morrison from The (Toledo)
Blade won placed second and Barbara Perenic from The Columbus Dispatch won third place.

60 visual journalists from across the state submitted 855 entries in the 66th annual news
photography contest judged over the last two days at Ohio University. Judging the competition
were: Harry Walker, former Director of Visuals Naples Daily News; Tanner Curtis, photo editor at
the New York Times; Preston Gannaway, independent visual journalist. Judging multimedia and
online entries remotely were: Jessica Koscielniak, Video Journalist with The McClatchy Company,
Aaron Ontiveroz (director of emerging media), Lindsay Pierce (staff videographer), John
Sunderland (retired director of photography) – The Denver Post.

2016 ONPA  Annual Contest Winners
for still images click on the category to view the winning images
for video entries click on the title of the winning entry to view the video

George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Small Market)
1st - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate

George A. Smallsreed, Jr. Photographer of the Year (Large Market)
1st - Meg Vogel / Cincinnati Enquirer
2nd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch
3rd - Andy Morrison/ The (Toledo) Blade
Award of Excellence - Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer

Chuck Scott Student Photographer of the Year Award
1st - Andrea Noall, Kent State University
2nd - Eslah Attar, Kent State University

James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award
1st - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, "The View From Phoenix"
2nd - Meg Vogel / Cincinnati Enquirer, "Finding Home"
3rd - Andy Morrison / The (Toledo) Blade, "Sister Act"
Award of Excellence Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer, "Hough Riots Couldn't Destroy a Neighborhood"

Larry Fulerton Photojournalism Scholarship
1st -Alex Driehaus, Ohio University
2nd - Sarah Holm, Ohio University

Best of Show
Andy Morrison / The (Toledo) Blade - "Cow & Diann"

Monthly Clip Contest Photographer of the Year
1st - Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch
2nd - Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade
3rd - Barbara Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch

Photography Staff of the Year (Large Market)
1st - The Columbus Dispatch
2nd - Cincinnati Enquirer
3rd - The Plain Dealer

Photography Staff of the Year (Small Market)
1st - Newark Advocate
2nd - The (Youngstown Vindicator)

Campaign 2016
1st - Sam Greene / Cincinnati Enquirer, "Trump"
2nd - Brooke LaValley / The Columbus Dispatch , "Salesman"
3rd - Nikos Frazier / The (Youngstown) Vindicator, "Eyes"
Award of Excellence - Patricia Schaeffer / The (Lisbon) Morning Journal, "A Roar for Pence"
Award of Excellence - Brooke LaValley / The Columbus Dispatch, "Election Night"
Award of Excellence - Brooke LaValley / The Columbus Dispatch, "Winners"

Feature
1st - Kassi Jackson / Kent State University, "Mike Wray"
2nd - Jeremy Wadsworth / The (Toledo) Blade, "Gorillas"
3rd - Peggy Turbett / Freelance, "Team Tango"
Award of Excellence - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus Dispatch, "Safe Ride"
Award of Excellence - Meg Vogel / Cincinnati Enquirer, "Rollover"
Award of Excellence - Andy Morrison / The (Toledo) Blade, "Party Girls"

Feature Picture Story
1st - Andy Morrison / The (Toledo) Blade, "Cow & Diann"
2nd - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, "Redefining Tom"
3rd - Andrea Noall / Kent State University, "A Hand to Hold"
Award of Excellence - Eslah Attar / Kent State Univeristy, "Finding Their Footing"
Award of Excellence - Meg Vogel / Cincinnati Enquirer, John Kasich"

General News
1st - Mike Cardew / Akron Beacon Journal, "Headstone"
2nd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "Machete "
3rd - Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus Dispatch, "Sentencing"
Award of Excellence - Barbara J. Perenic / The Columbus Dispatch, "Bieber Fans"
Award of Excellence - Scott Heckel / The (Canton) Repository, "Remembering Their Friend"

Issue Illustration
1st - Andrea Levy / The Plain Dealer, "Under Pressuer"
2nd - Andrea Levy / The Plain Dealer, "Fall Music"
3rd - Andrea Levy / The Plain Dealer, "A Taste for Everything"
Award of Excellence - Andrea Levy / American City Business Journals, "Mentoring Makes a Difference"

News Picture Story
1st - Carrie Cochran / Cincinnati Enquirer, "Rabbit Hash"
Award of Excellence - Meg Vogel / Cincinnati Enquirer, "RNC"

Pictorial
1st - Leah Klafczynski / Akron Beacon Journal, "After the Storm"
2nd - Adam Cairns / The Columbus Dispatch, "John Glenn"
3rd - Brooke LaValley / The Columbus Dispatch, "Night Game"
Award of Excellence - Eric Albrecht / The Columbus Dispatch, "Super Moon Dots The I"
Award of Excellence - Tyler Stabile / Ohio University, "Owl"

Portrait Personality
1st - Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer, "Safety First"
2nd - Meg Vogel / Cincinnati Enquirer, "Mother"
3rd - Carrie Cochran / Cincinnati Enquirer, "Opening Day"
Award of Excellence - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, "George Gordon"
Award of Excellence - Fred Squillante / The Columbus Dispatch, "Missing Her Son"
Award of Excellence - Eslah Attar / Kent State University, "Meditation"

Product Illustration
1st - Barbara J. Perenic / The Columbus Dispatch, "Sundae"
2nd - Brooke LaValley / The Columbus Dispatch, "Green Pea Rosemary Soup"
3rd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "PadThai"

Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year
1st - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate
2nd - Joshua A. Bickel / ThisWeek Community News
3rd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch

Sports Action
1st - Barbara J. Perenic / The Columbus Dispatch, "Hitting the Wall"
2nd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "Touchdown"
3rd - David Dermer / Freelance, "Leaping Interception"
Award of Excellence - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "Flip"
Award of Excellence - Clint Datchuk / Kent State University, "Rope"
Award of Excellence - Tyler Stabile / Ohio University, "Bunker Shot"
Award of Excellence - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "Jump"

Sports Feature
1st - Jessica Phelps / Newark Advocate, "Final Disappointment"
2nd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "Game Winner"
3rd - Aaron Self / Kent State University, "MAC Championship"
Award of Excellence - Clint Datchuk / Kent State University, "Oh No"
Award of Excellence - Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer, "Victory Leap"
Award of Excellence - Brooke LaValley / The Columbus Dispatch, "Crash Walk"

Sports Picture Story
1st - Jessica Phelps, Newark ADvocate, "For the Love of the Game"
2nd - Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer, "Lebron James"
3rd - Joshua A. Bickel / ThisWeek Community News, "Ironman Ohio"

Spot News
1st - Robert K. Yosay / The (Youngstown) Vindicator, "Console"
2nd - Barbara J. Perenic / The Columbus Dispatch, "Consoled"
3rd - Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch, "Shooting "
Award of Excellence - Erin McLaughlin / Sandusky Register, "In a Ditch"

Team Picture Story
1st - The Columbus Dispatch, Tyre King"
Award of Excellence - The Columbus Dispatch, "John Glenn Remembered"

News Video
1st - Molly Corfman, The (Fremont) News-Messenger, "The Llittle Soldier"
2nd - Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, "In Pike County: ‘I always thought she’d be here’"
3rd - Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Cincinnati Pride honors Orlando"

Judges comments: First - Great access, good interviews, this story tugs at the heart strings. Nice work for the fast turn around time. Second - Good interview, but I wanted more back story in this piece. (I realize that this story was probably an on-going topic in the community) but the text slides left me a little confused. The text slides could have also been left up slightly longer. Great use of varying shots in both the car and the cemetery. Nice Work ! Third - Great use of varying shots and angles, I think it would have been helpful if you saw the individuals talking at some point. I believe it would have moved the piece along and round out the video.

Sports Video
1st - Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, "High Divers"
2nd - Sam Greene, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Bengals Kevin Zeitler doubles down before OTAs"
3rd - Doral Chenoweth, The Columbus Dispatch,"Cheating Death: Athletic Director Survives Aneurysm"
Award of Exccellence - Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Being Andy Dalton"

Judges Comments: First - Unique story that kept interest the whole time. Love the varying angles from all over the fair. Nice Work! Second - : Good access, nice varying of angles. Nice storytelling of what its like in the offseason. Third - Touch story of this AD, who seems to be a very important person at this highschool. This person did a good job capturing real life interactions, so much so, I wanted MORE of him and less of the people talking about him. Award of Excellence - Nice access for the off season, the access felt a bit forced. Some different tighter detail shots and some varying angles and some sequencing would have elevated this piece. 

Feature Video
1st - Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Acid attack survivor's goal is to redefine beauty"
2nd - Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Finding Home: A 12-year-old boy’s search for home in the midst of war"
3rd - Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, "Nude Yoga"
Award of Excellence - Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Teamsters protest broken pension promises at U.S. Capitol"

Judges comments: First - Wonderfully shot, tightly edited, great access. We loved this story. Second - Another nicely shot, tightly edited piece. A lot of vision and good execution. Third -Nicely done in a difficult-to-shoot setting. The photographer did a great job crafting their shots. Award of Excellence - This one had really nice moments and worked well, but wasn’t as tight as 1 and 2 or shot to the level of 3. The two stories within felt a little disjointed, but nice work overall. 

Team Video
1st - Carrie Cochran and Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, "An anthem that unites us"
2nd - Meg Vogel, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Gov. John Kasich drops out of presidential race" - Participants: Chrissie Thompson, Carrie Cochran
3rd - Carrie Cochran and Liz Dufour, Cincinnati Enquirer, "Jillian and Ryan"
Award of Excellence - Carrie Cochran and Michael Killian, Cincinnati Enquirer, "In Pike County: ‘Hold your loved ones close’" - Participants: Amanda Rossmann, Meg Vogel, Sam Greene, Mike Nyerges, Liz Dufour, Patrick Reddy, Chris Graves.

Judges comments: First - This is a beautiful effort paying homage to a city’s sound. The photography, the score, the interviews were great. Second - This is a really great use of various types of media to help tell a story of a man. It is wonderfully crafted and well thought out. Third - A cute story that made us feel good. It was well told and subtle. Award of Excellence - Another good effort in using various media to tell a story. It wasn’t as high-level as no. 2 nor as well shot as no. 1, but very well done. 

Contest Judges

News Video and Sports Video judged by Jessica Koscielniak, Video Journalist | The McClatchy Compan

Feature Video and Team Video judged by Aaron Ontiveroz (director of emerging media), Lindsay Pierce (staff videographer), John Sunderland (retired director of photography) – The Denver Post

Still categories judged by Tanner Curtis, photo editor at the New York Times; Pulitzer Prize-winning documentary and fine art photographer Preston Gannaway and Harry Walker former Director of Visuals at the Naples Daily News.