Brasler Prize Winners

The first-place winners from each Story of the Year category (News, Feature Story, Editorial/Opinion Story, Sports Story), as well as the Social Justice Reporting category, compete for the $1,000 Brasler Prize.

The award is named after Wayne Brasler, a long-time journalism teacher and publications adviser at the University of Chicago Laboratory High School, long-serving NSPA board member and a tireless supporter of scholastic journalism.

2021
Hanah Kitamoto, Caroline Mascardo
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa

2020
Dominik Zelek
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

2019
Alexandra Fernholz, Anna Mullins
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

2018
Ysa Leon, Ella Treinen
On the Record
duPont Manual High School
Louisville, Kentucky

2017
Camille Respess, Ellie Tomasson, Charlie Brennan
The Globe
Clayton High School
St. Louis, Missouri

2016
Camille Respess, Ellie Tomasson, Alex Bernard
The Globe
Clayton High School
St. Louis, Missouri

2015
Chris Roussell, Josh Jean-Marie
The Crimson Record
duPont Manual HS, Louisville, Kentucky

2014
Zoe Gregozek, Alice Koltchev, Gillian Weatherford, Ava Poen, Eliza Davis
Ink
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Prep School
Santa Cruz, California

2013
Staff
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

2012
Ry Faraola, Zoe Gregozek, Acacia Lommen-Nelson, Lucy Saldavia, Adriana Brock
Ink
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Prep School
Santa Cruz, California

2011
Bryan Hess, Sarah Schaeffer
Penn Points
Penn Manor High School
Millersville, Pennsylvania

2010
Jane Seo
The Hub
Davis Senior High School
Davis, California

2009
Henry Rome
The Spoke
Conestoga High School
Berwyn, Pennsylvania

2008
Chelsea Long
The Rock
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

2007
Bianca Giaever
The Garfield Messenger
Garfield High School
Seattle, Washington

2006
Dean Carson, Emily Dansereau, Kyle Hargus, Zach Hartnett, Molly Swenson, Becca Varon, Dana Wu
The Garfield Messenger
Garfield High School
Seattle, Washington

2005
Mark Green
Mane Events
McKinney High School
McKinney, Texas

2004
Heiko Yang
The Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

2003
Anand Gandhi
Gazette
Granite Bay High School
Granite Bay, California

2002
Chen Wu and Ross Shahandeh
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio

2001
Lauren Stiglich and Tarah Sobodas
Tiger Tales
Joliet West High School
Joliet, Illinois

2000
Andrew Schrader
The Pony Express
Gaither High School
Tampa, Florida

1999
Jana Zabkova
Lakewood Times
Lakewood H.S.
Lakewood, Ohio

1998
Jonathan Belitsos
Matthew Tossman
The Page
St. Paul’s School
Brooklandville, Maryland

1997
Becca Jesada
The Quill
Bryn Mawr School
Baltimore, Maryland

1996
Scott Palmer
Featherduster
Westlake H.S.
Austin, Texas