2019 Online Pacemaker finalists announced
NSPA honors 44 high school news sites for journalistic excellence
MINNEAPOLIS — Honoring the nation’s best, the National Scholastic Press Association has named 44 scholastic news sites as finalists in its prestigious Pacemaker competition.
While the judges have named the Pacemaker finalists, the Pacemaker winners have not been selected.
“The judging teams will now continue to study the sites named as Pacemaker finalists on a frequent basis,” said Gary Lundgren, associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition. “The Pacemaker winners will be selected shortly before they are named on April 27, so for the 44 schools we are naming as finalists today, the competition is really just heating up.”
The NSPA Pacemaker award has a rich tradition and the association started presenting the award to high school newspapers a few years after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” said Laura Widmer, executive director. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
The 44 Pacemaker finalists represent 13 states and Taiwan. California set the pace with 13 finalists.
To select the 44 Pacemaker finalists, judges carefully studied approximately 200 sites submitted from 34 states. The online sites competed in two different categories based on school population. Two teams of three judges studied every entry, analyzing its strengths. The status of each entry was agreed upon by at least two of the three judges.
In this competition, only the online news product was judged. The news sites were either digital companions to print newspapers and newsmagazines or online-only products.
A separate NSPA 2018 Newspaper/Newsmagazine Pacemaker competition recognized 67 print news publications in November. Several schools earned Pacemaker honors for both their print and online products.
Written comments from the judges about each of the Pacemaker-winning sites will be posted after the winners are announced along with overall comments and observations from all six judges. The professional bios of the judges will also be included.
Pacemaker finalists will be recognized with plaques at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 25 at the Opening Ceremony of the Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Anaheim.
Pacemaker winners will be announced and will receive plaques on Saturday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. at the convention’s closing Awards Ceremony where both NSPA and JEA honors will be presented.
M-A Chronicle
Menlo-Atherton High School
Atherton, California
Adviser: John McBlair
Editors: Sarah Lehman, Isabella Villa
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California
Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite
Editors: Rana Aghababazadeh, Roshan Fernandez
The Pearl Post
Daniel Pearl Magnet High School
Lake Balboa, California
Adviser: Adriana Chavira
Editor: Michael Chidbachian
The Oracle
The Archer School for Girls
Los Angeles, California
Adviser: Kristin Taylor
Editor: Anna Brodsky
The Tam News
Tamalpais High School
Mill Valley, California
Adviser: Jonah Steinhart
Editors: Kennedy Cook, Ava Finn, Lola Leuterio, Milo Levine
The Campanile
Palo Alto Senior High School
Palo Alto, California
Advisers: Rod Satterthwaite, Esther Wojcicki
Editors: Leyton Ho, Waverly Long, Ethan Nissim, Kaylie Nguyen, Ujwal Srivastava
The Paly Voice
Palo Alto Senior High School
Palo Alto, California
Adviser: Paul Kandell
Editors: Soumya Jhaveri, Ellie Krugler, Jevan Yu
Crimson Newsmagazine
Paso Robles High School
Paso Robles, California
Adviser: Jeff Mount
Editors: Jessica Jagger, Sarah Jagger, Ysabel Wulfing
Eye of the Tiger
Roseville High School
Roseville, California
Adviser: Bobby Ritter
Editors: Cam Medrano, Jayden Miller, Jordan Del Valle Tonoian
The Octagon
Sacramento Country Day School
Sacramento, California
Adviser: Patricia Fels
Editors: Sahej Claire, Chardonnay Needler
The Matador
San Gabriel High School
San Gabriel, California
Adviser: Jennifer Kim
Editor: Selina Han
The Chronicle
Harvard-Westlake School
Studio City, California
Adviser: Jim Burns
Editors: Sophie Haber, Jenny Li
The Foothill Dragon Press
Foothill Technology High School
Ventura, California
Adviser: Yiu Hung Li
Editor: Jocelyn Brossia
The Eagle Eye
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, Florida
Adviser: Melissa Falkowski
Editors: Brianna Fisher, Hannah Kapoor, Rebecca Schneid
Central Times
Naperville Central High School
Naperville, Illinois
Adviser: Keith Carlson
Editors: Alana Cervera, Ana Turner
Niles West News
Niles West High School
Skokie, Illinois
Adviser: Lisa Rossa
Editors: Christina Lappas, Divitya Vakil
HiLite
Carmel High School
Carmel, Indiana
Adviser: Jim Streisel
Editor: Carson TerBush
The Little Hawk
Iowa City High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Adviser: Jonathan Rogers
Editor: Mira Kumar
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Adviser: Sara Whittaker
Editor: Kara Wagenknecht
The Guidon Online
Hays High School
Hays, Kansas
Adviser: Bill Gasper
Editors: Isabelle Braun, Madison Weber
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Adviser: Dow Tate
Editors: Annabelle Cook, Will Tulp
Rampage
Rockville High School
Rockville, Maryland
Adviser: Nicholas Confino
Editors: Michael Carvajal, William Gangnath
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Advisers: Tiffany Joesph, Kari Koshiol
Editor: Henry Witterschein
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Adviser: Lori Keekley
Editor: Dani Orloff
Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul, Minnesota
Adviser: Kathryn Campbell
Editor: Mimi Geller
Pathfinder
Parkway West High School
Ballwin, Missouri
Adviser: Debra Klevens
Editors: Justin Cupps, Dani Fischer
The Globe
Clayton High School
Clayton, Missouri
Adviser: Erin Sucher-O’Grady
Editor: Justin Guilak
Bearing News
Rock Bridge Senior High School
Columbia, Missouri
Adviser: Robin Stover
Editors: Ann Fitzmaurice, Ji-Sung Lee, Emily Oba, Katie Whaley
The Kirkwood Call
Kirkwood High School
Kirkwood, Missouri
Adviser: Mitch Eden
Editors: Logan Crews, Bridget Killian, Jack Rintoul
FHNtoday
Francis Howell North High School
Saint Charles, Missouri
Adviser: Aaron Manfull
Editor: Madi Shinault
GCAAtoday
Grand Center Arts Academy
St. Louis, Missouri
Adviser: Travis Armknecht
Editors: Aurora Phillips, Aliena Yost
The Echo
Webster Groves High School
Webster Groves, Missouri
Adviser: Donald Johnson
Editor: Cole Schnell
Southwest Shadow
Southwest Career and Technical Academy
Las Vegas, Nevada
Adviser: Matthew LaPorte
Editors: Shareen Basyari, Kyle Bayudan
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas
Adviser: Michael Reeves
Editors: Ellie Coulston, Mo Orr, Kaitlyn Zellner
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
Adviser: Dave Winter
Editors: Max Rhodes, Steven Tibbetts
Horizon
Westwood High School
Austin, Texas
Adviser: Lanie Catuogno
Editors: Lizzie Deal, Emily Lu, Jenny Xu
The Eagle’s Tale
Canyon High School
Canyon, Texas
Adviser: Laura Smith
Editors: Erin Sheffield, Katelyn Spivey
Wingspan
Liberty High School
Frisco, Texas
Adviser: Brian Higgins
Editors: Lucas Barr, Kasey Harvey
The Rider Online
Legacy High School
Mansfield, Texas
Advisers: Rachel Dearinger, Leland Mallett
Editors: Katherine Pedroza, Jazmine Necessary
Tiger Times Online
Texas High School
Texarkana, Texas
Advisers: Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith
Editors: Joseph Rodgers, Victoria Van
HHS Media
Harrisonburg High School
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Adviser: Valerie Kibler
Editors: Hannah Miller, Noah Siderhurst
TRNWIRED
Prince George High School
Prince George, Virginia
Adviser: Chris Waugaman
Editor: Anna Mitchell
The Hawkeye
Mountlake Terrace High School
Mountlake Terrrace, Washington
Advisers: Vincent DeMiero, Mike McLaughlin
Editors: Benjamin Eyman, Annika Prom
The Blue & Gold
Taipei American School
Taipei, Taiwan
Adviser: Lindsey Kundel
Editor: Shereen Lee