2013 ONPA Annual Contest Winners

click on the story title to view the winning video – click on the category name to view still contest winners

News Photographer of the Year (Small Market)
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community Newspapers
2nd – Barbara J. Perenic, Springfield News-Sun
3rd – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun

News Photographer of the Year (Large Market)
1st – Katie Rausch, The (Toledo) Blade
2nd – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer
3rd – Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer

Student Photographer of the Year
1st – Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky University
2nd – Alex Holt, University of Kentucky
3rd – Logan Riely, Ohio University

Larry Fullerton Photojournalism Scholarship
1st – Jenna Watson, Kent State University
2nd – Madison Schmidt, University of Cincinnati

James R. Gordon Ohio Understanding Award
1st – Jacob Byk, Kent State University, “Greene County”
2nd – Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, “Teens at War”

Best of Show
Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky University, “Cheerleading”

Picture Usage (Large Market) – The Columbus Dispatch

Picture Usage (Small Market) – No Award

Clip Contest Photographer of Year
1st – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch

Photography Staff of Year (Small Market) 
ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Photography Staff of Year (Large Market) 
1st – The Columbus Dispatch
2nd – The Plain Dealer
3rd – The (Toledo) Blade

Feature
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community News, “Safety Town”
2nd – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Concentrate”
3rd – Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, “Goose Attack”
Award of Excellence – Bill Lackey, Springfield News-Sun, “Cleaning”
Award of Excellence – Eric Albrecht, Columbus Dispatch, “Relieve”
Award of Excellence – Fred Squillante, The Columbus Dispatch, “Kites”

Feature Picture Story
1st – Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, “Surprise Times Four”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Murphy”
3rd – Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Believing in Hope”
Award of Excellence – Karen Schiely, Akron Beacon Journal, “Cancer”
Award of Excellence – Barbara Perenic, Springfield News-Sun, “Dog Years”
Award of Excellence – Kristin Bauer, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “Her Own Two Feet”

General News
1st – Amy E. Voigt, The (Toledo) Blade, “Holding Him Back”
2nd – Katie Rausch, The (Toledo) Blade, “Domestic Violence ”
3rd – Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer, “Teachers Strike”
Award of Excellence – Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer, “Verdict”
Award of Excellence – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Family Burial”
Award of Excellence – Eamon Queeney, The Columbus Dispatch, “Failed Levy”
Award of Excellence – Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky University, “Trayvon Martin”
Award of Excellence – John Kuntz , The Plain Dealer, “Funeral”

Issue Illustration
1st – Andrea Levy, The Plain Dealer, “The Garden of Eating”
2nd – Andrea Levy, The Plain Dealer, “The Garden of Eating”
3rd – Andrea Levy, The Plain Dealer, “A match made in…Cleveland?”

News Picture Story
1st – Amy E. Voigt, The (Toledo) Blade,”Elaina”
2nd – Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer, “Teaches Strike”
3rd – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer, “Reinvestigating Rape”
Award of Excellence, Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer, “Cleveland’s Missing Women”
Award of Excellence, Coty Giannelli, Kent State University, “Revolution”

Pictorial
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community News, “Flag Retirement”
2nd – Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky, “Pool”
3rd – Ernest Coleman, Freelance, “A Rose Of Honor”
Award of Excellence – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Passing Through”
Award of Excellence – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer, “Ballet”
Award of Excellence – Andy Morrison, The (Toledo) Blade, “Cowboys”
Award of Excellence – Andrea Noall, Kent State Univesity, “Morning Fog”

Portrait Personality
1st – Jeffrey Smith, The (Toledo) Blade, “Pigeon Flight”
2nd – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Selfie with Lincoln”
3rd – Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch, “A Widow’s Gift”
Award of Excellence – Kristin Bauer, The (Elyria) Chronicle-Telegram, “My World”
Award of Excellence – Lisa DeJong , The Plain Dealer, “Looking Back”
Award of Excellence – Courtney Hergesheimer, The Columbus Dispatch, “Lexi”

Product Illustration
1st – Will Shilling, Capital Style, “Shortbread Cookies”
2nd – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer, “Polka Dot”
3rd – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer, “Necklace”
Award of Excellence – Shane Flanigan, Kent State University, “Blueberry Hand Pies”
Award of Excellence – Will Shilling, Capital Style, “Lillet Rose Cocktails”

Ron Kuntz Sports Photographer of the Year
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community Newspapers
2nd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch
3rd – Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky University 
Award of Excellence – Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch

Sports Action
1st – Scott Heckel, The (Canton) Repository, “Eyes on the Ball”
2nd – Alex Holt, University of Kentucky, “Diving Save”
3rd – Michael Chritton, Akron Beacon Journal, “De-fence”
Award of Excellence – Logan Riely, Ohio University, “Kentucky Derby”
Award of Excellence – Barbara J. Perenic, The Columbus Dispatch, “Touchdown Flip”
Award of Excellence – Kyle Robertson, The Columbus Dispatch, “Header”
Award of Excellence – Sam Greene, The (Lorain) Morning Journal, “Out”

Sports Feature
1st – Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky University, “Cheerleading”
2nd – Ed Suba Jr., Akron Beacon Journal, “Finals Failure”
3rd – Jabin Botsford, Western Kentucky University, “Boxing”
Award of Excellence – Phil Masturzo, Akron Beacon Journal, “Windy”
Award of Excellence – David Richard, Freelance, “Streaker Striker”
Award of Excellence – Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch, “Champs”
Award of Excellence – Jenna Watson, Kent State University, “Player’s Dates”
Award of Excellence – Jabin Botsford, The Columbus Dispatch, “Football”

Sports Picture Story
1st – Joshua A. Bickel, ThisWeek Community Newspapers, “Watterson Takes Title”
2nd – Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, “Rodeo Girl”
3rd – Adam Cairns, The Columbus Dispatch, “Presidents Cup”

Spot News – Large Market
1st – Alex Holt, University of Kentucky, “The Pain of Loss”
2nd – Ed Suba Jr., Akron Beacon Journal, “Slain”
3rd – Lori King, The (Toledo) Blade, “Up In Smoke”
Award of Excellence – Amy E. Voigt, The (Toledo) Blade, “Swat Team”
Award of Excellence – Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer, “Home At Last”

Spot News – Small Market
1st – Robert K. Yosay, The (Youngstown) Vindicator, “Someone Help”
2nd – Isaac Hale, Ohio University, “Airshow Crash”
3rd – Brent Lewis, Chillicothe Gazette, “Extinguisher”
Award of Excellence – Taehoon Kim, Ohio University, “Gun Protest”
Award of Excellence – Scott Heckel, The Repository, “Taken Into Custody”

Team Picture Story
1st – The (Toledo) Blade, “Search for Baby Elaina”
2nd – The Plain Dealer, “Home, At Last”
3rd – The Columbus Dispatch, “President Cup”

Best Feature Video
1st – Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Believing in Hope”
2nd – Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, “It’s Not Just Their Own Lives”
3rd – Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Back On the Streets”
Award of Excellence – Glenn Hartong, Cincinnati Enquirer, “After the Abuse: Suffering in Silence”
Award of Excellence, Taehoon Kim, Ohio University, “A Higher Passion”
Award of Excellence, Abigail Saxton Fisher, Freelance, “Dancer”

Judges comments: 1st – “Depression – Believing in Hope” – The first word that comes to mind is “Wow!” I’m not sure how long you spent on this but I can tell it was a good bit of time and it’s nice to see another newspaper giving you the time to do it and tell it right. It was such a thrill to watch and be drawn into a long piece of storytelling that grabbed and held me for the entire 15:25minutes. I could not take my eyes off the screen and that is what the power of good video storytelling with great characters can do to viewers.

Nice natural sound, letting the story breath as it was being told. It was shot really well, that opening was just fantastic with Hope on the swings and I loved how when the moments were happening you stayed still let it all play out. That takes patience. I’m thinking of when Hope had to get up for school and she was in her mom’s bed just sitting there sucking on her binky as her mom got up. The silence of that moment was so loud and clear to me. You had me rooting for Hope the entire time and your access to the family was just outstanding.

Congrats on a wonderful piece. You should consider entering this in the Casey Medal that is run out of the University of Maryland. They deal with stories and issues that affect kids and families.

2nd – “Heroin – It’s Not Just Their Own Lives” – Wonderful storytelling and editing about Jason and how what happened to him affected and changed the lives of others. Just shows the dangerous power of heroin!
Loved how this was all handled and told from the interviewing to the archived footage. Nice job of building in suspense with the mom and younger brother talking about what the doctors were saying how he’d “be a vegetable the rest of his life” then cut to the iPhone video his mom shot. That was a surprise and just one of those things in video storytelling viewers need to see to 1) help advance the story and 2) keep us engaged in what’s going on.

A couple of nitpicky things I noticed watching it the second time through; Be more careful with the music you chose and the volume. Sometimes when the mom or younger brother were talking the music was loud and my ears were straining to try and hear what they were saying over the music. For your title slides it was taking just a bit to long for them to revel themselves and when they did it all went away quickly. I’d recommend having all the words on the screen with a fade in, fade out to black and do the reading test out loud with a stopwatch or using your fingers to count the seconds then add 3 or 5 seconds to that total time. Again just being nitpicky but overall really nice work, you should be proud!!

3rd – “Homeless – Back on the Streets” – “I found out I like this, how can this be illegal?” was one of my favorite lines in this story. This was a nice and troubling look into the life of a guy who continues to spiral down the drain and doesn’t mind. The access you got from the jail cell to being with him was really nice. A 7:57-minute piece? Who cares? When you have a strong compelling character that takes viewers into a life most don’t know about and it’s shot and edited well, time doesn’t matter. I just wanted to keep watching this and it was so nice to see Diane bring balance to this. Those series of mug shots near the end were really powerful.
Very nice job!!

Best Team Video
1st – The Plain Dealer, Participants: David I. Andersen, Scott Shaw, Lisa DeJong, Gus Chan, Marvin Fong, Thomas Ondrey and Tony Dejak
“The week Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight Were Found Alive in Cleveland”
2nd – Cincinnati Enquirer, Participants: Glenn Hartong and Carrie Cochran
“I’m Overjoyed, in Love, and So Thankful.”
No Third Place Awarded

Comments: 1st – Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found alive in Cleveland
Good straight up news story about a story the nation remembers. I like that you showed restraint and had it short at 2:50 when you could of and I’m sure had lots of material to make it much longer. Nice open with the slow move out, using the 911 call and people on the street like Charles Ramsey. Covered it all really good in many ways.

2nd – I’m overjoyed, in love, and so thankful. An emotional story that if shot better and edited tighter could of risen to first place. 9:39 was really long for this. Nice hustle telling the story from home to the charter airplane for the marriage ceremony. Sometimes it seems like you were just recording what was going on and I didn’t get to know really the love these two men had for each other and how ALS perhaps made them closer than ever. Would have loved to have seen how Jim cared for John in the hospital with ALS (even in pictures someone had shot in the hospital, during his therapy, etc) The start at 2:39 before getting to the airplane was just long and instead of listening I kept wondering, “ok, where are you taking me next”
Less is more is so cliché but so, so true. If I’m looking at my watch you’re starting to lose me as a viewer.

Audio Slideshow
1st – Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, “Surprise Times Four”
2nd – Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer, “Trapp Family Farm”
3rd – Chris Russell, The Columbus Dispatch, “Rodeo Girl”

Comments: The winning story (“Surprise Times Four”) did a good job of stripping away the complexities of an unusual set of pregnancies and focusing on the human side of the story. Strong images, effective audio that melds the interviews with key moments of nat sound. Second place is a delightful, quiet story (“Trapp Family Farm”) with beautiful photos and an audio track that moves effortlessly between the two main characters. Unfortunately the producer chose to put less than subtle motion on every photo, which was incredibly distracting. Ken Burns doesn’t put motion on every still image and when he does, he uses the motion to direct the eye to a specific place on the image. Third place (“Rodeo girl”) is an engaging story with strong photos. The audio is good, but it doesn’t flow as smoothly from scene to scene as the soundtracks in the top entries.

News Video
1st – David I. Andersen, The Plain Dealer, “Chardon High School Shooting Memorial March”
2nd – Glenn Hartong, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Thank God Nobody Got Hurt”
3rd – Doral Chenoweth III, The Columbus Dispatch, “Heroin Addict Suffers Huge Problems”

Comments: It’s tough to find all the little pieces that make a story flow well during an emotionally-charged that moves around. But that’s what happened in the first place entry (“Chardon High School shooting memorial march on 1st anniversary”), which does a good job of knitting together the elements to create a solid daily news story. The reporter did a good job of sticking with the main character through the beginning of the second place story (“Thank God nobody got hurt”), then added context with the fire chief. Strong visuals and the popping nat sound from the downed wires were very effective at propelling a viewer into the story. The third place video (“Heroin Addict Suffers Huge Problems”) adds a human element to an important story. It would have been nice to spend more time with a couple of the characters.

Sports Video
1st – Carrie Cochran, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Not Afraid to Fail”
2nd – Doral Chenoweth III, The Columbus Dispatch, “Buck-I-Guy”
3rd – Michael Chritton, Akron Beacon Journal, “Zeke & Andre Finish Marathon”
Award of Excellence – Michael Chritton, Akron Beacon Journal, “Tiger Woods Dominates”
Award of Excellence – Jeff Swinger, Cincinnati Enquirer, “Reggie Williams: The Power of a Ruined Knee”
Award of Excellence – Carrie Wise, The Columbus Dispatch, “Mixed Martial Arts in Central Ohio”

Comments: A very strong category, with a good mix of well executed daily stories and projects. First place (“Not Afraid to Fail”) features a solid character, effective interview, a good variety of action sequences and a great reveal. If I had to pick a best of show for audio slideshows/video, this would be it. The second place story (“Buck-I-Guy”) does a great job of letting the viewer share the game day experience of a unique fan. The third place story (“Zeke and Andre finish marathon”) makes good use of natural sound and multiple camera angles (just the right amount of GoPro, bravo!), but would have benefited from a little more context (how much did they train together, what was the most difficult moment of pushing someone the length of a marathon, how did they come up with this idea?) It says a lot about the depth of the entries in this category that three definitely deserve honorable mention:  kudos to a well-produced daily story on Tiger Woods (“Tiger dominates Bridgestone Invitational”), some nice moments in the disabled linebacker story (“Reggie Williams: The power of a ruined knee”) and a well edited overview of the state MMA scene (“Mixed martial arts in central Ohio”) that would have benefitted from having a central character to follow through the story.

2013 Still Contest Judges 
Dave Weatherwax from The (Jasper, IN) Herald
David Stephenson from the University of Kentucky
Sue Ogrocki from the Associatd Press

Feature and Team Video
Judged by Eric Seals, an Emmy-award winning multimedia journalist and photographer for the Detroit Free Press

Audio Slideshow, News and Sports Video
Judged by Curt Chandler who teaches communications and multimedia journalism at Penn State University