Top collegiate online sites announced

ACP Pacemaker competition names 45 finalists
as ‘the best of the best’

Aug. 31, 2023

MINNEAPOLIS — The Associated Collegiate Press has recognized 45 online news and magazine sites as finalists in the Online Pacemaker competition.

The winners will be announced at the ACP Pacemaker and Individual Awards Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, at the Fall National College Media Convention, in Atlanta.

“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” executive director Laura Widmer said. “ACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.”

The 45 finalists represent 21 states. California set the pace with 13 finalists, followed by Illinois with four.

Of the 45 finalists, 20 will earn Pacemaker honors. 

Online sites from two-year and four-year schools competed in separate divisions. 

Within the four-year school category, websites competed against those from colleges and universities with similar enrollments.

To select the finalists, respected professionals, including professors and current digital media professionals, analyzed, discussed and rated each entry.

Gary Lundgren, ACP associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition, noted the quality of student websites is improving significantly each year. In 2022, there were 31 finalists compared to 45 in 2023.

“Today’s best online sites are platforms for rich multimedia storytelling,” associate director Gary Lundgren said. “Deep and diverse coverage with strong engagement and interactivity distinguish the best student-produced sites.” 

In this competition, only the online product was judged. Print newspapers and magazines compete in separate Pacemaker competitions.

Finalists are alphabetical by state.

The Hornet
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California
Editors-in-chief: Gerardo Chagolla, Jake Rhodes
Adviser: Jessica Langlois

The Skyline View
Skyline College
San Bruno, California
Editor-in-chief: Joshua Picazo
Adviser: Nancy Kaplan-Biegel

The Corsair
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California
Editor-in-chief: Sasha Funes
Advisers: Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, Gerard Burkhart

The Union
El Camino College
Torrance, California
Editor-in-chief: Khoury Williams
Adviser: Stefanie Frith

The Clarion
Madison Area Technical College
Madison, Wisconsin
Editor-in-chief: Kylie Phillips
Adviser: Doug Kirchberg

The Auburn Plainsman
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
Editor-in-chief: Destini Ambus
Adviser: Billy Ferris

Daily Forty-Niner
California State University, Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Editors-in-chief: Christal Gaines-Emory, Lizet Ibarra, Leila Nunez, Renzo Pocasangre, Luke Wines
Advisers: Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, Gary Metzker

Los Angeles Loyolan
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California
Editors-in-chief: Chris Benis, Amy Carlyle
Advisers: Tom Nelson, Kevin O’Keeffe

The Occidental
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
Editors-in-chief: Mia Anzalone, Anissa Basnayake, Meghan Lee
Adviser: Barbara Thomas

Daily Bruin
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Editor-in-chief: Victoria Li
Adviser: Abigail Goldman

Pepperdine Graphic
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California
Editors-in-chief: Christina Buravtsova, Abby Wilt
Adviser: Elizabeth Smith

The State Hornet
Sacramento State University
Sacramento, California
Editor-in-chief: Tony Rodriguez
Adviser: Fernando Gallo

Golden Gate Xpress
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
Editors-in-chief: Joshua Carter, Lisa Moreno
Advisers: Josh Davis, Rachele Kanigel

Xpress
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
Editor-in-chief: Eian Gil
Adviser: Laura Moorhead

Mustang News
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
Editors-in-chief: Catherine Allen, Victoria Bochniak
Advisers: Pat Howe, Jon Schlitt, Brady Teufel

Spinnaker
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Editor-in-chief: Carter Mudgett
Adviser: Amanda Cox

The Daily Illini
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
Editor-in-chief: Lika Lezhava
Adviser: Melissa Pasco

Daily Eastern News
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois
Editors-in-chief: Madelyn Kidd, Luke Taylor
Adviser: Joe Gisondi

14 East
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
Editor-in-chief: Monique Mulima
Adviser: Amy Merrick

The Alestle
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, Illinois
Editor-in-chief: Emily Sterzinger
Adviser: Tammy Merrett

Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana
Editors-in-chief: Cate Charron, Cailin O’Malley, Helen Rummel
Advisers: Malinda Aston, Jim Rodenbush, Ruth Witmer

The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Editors-in-chief: Ryan Hansen, Hannah Pinski
Adviser: Jason Brummond

The Sunflower
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas
Editors-in-chief: Mia Hennen, Jaycie Nelson
Adviser: Amy DeVault

College Heights Herald
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Editors-in-chief: Jake Moore, Debra Murray
Advisers: Chuck Clark, Carrie Pratt

Kentucky Kernel
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Editor-in-chief: Rayleigh Deaton
Advisers: Ryan Craig, Bryce McNeil, David Stephenson

The Maroon
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Editors-in-chief: Macie Batson, Jackie Galli, Gabriella Killett
Adviser: Michael Giusti

The Huntington News
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
Editors-in-chief: Rachel Erwin, Marta Hill

The Harvard Crimson
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Editors-in-chief: Cara Chang, Brandon Kingdollar

The Michigan Daily
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Editors-in-chief: Paige Hodder, Shannon Stocking, Kate Weiland

The State News
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
Editor-in-chief: Sa’Mya Overall
Advisers: Wesley Herold, Kim Margolis, Chris Richert

The Minnesota Daily
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Editor-in-chief: Maia Irving
Adviser: Charlie Weaver

Arrow
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Editors-in-chief: Emma Kratky, Kyrie Padberg
Advisers: Jasmine Evans, Tamara Zellars Buck

The Ithacan
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York
Editors-in-chief: Caitlin Holtzman, Syd Pierre
Adviser: Casey Musarra

NYCity News Service
City University of New York
New York, New York
Editor-in-chief: Staff
Adviser: John Mancini

Empire State Tribune
The King’s College
New York, New York
Editor-in-chief: Myrian Garcia
Advisers: Paul Glader, Clemente Lisi

The Daily Orange
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Editor-in-chief: Richard Perrins

The Daily Tar Heel
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Guillermo Molero
Adviser: Courtney Mitchell

The Chronicle
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Milla Surjadi
Adviser: Chrissy Beck

Elon News Network
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Miranda Ferrante
Adviser: Kelly Furnas

OU Daily
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Editors-in-chief: Jillian Taylor, Jazz Wolfe
Adviser: Seth Prince

Daily Emerald
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Editors-in-chief: Sarah Matlick, Hannarose McGuinness
Advisers: Kathy Carbone, Bill Kunerth, Shelly Rondestvedt, Anna Smith

Loquitur
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania
Editor-in-chief: Victoria Emmitt
Adviser: Wendy Rosenfield

The Daily Gamecock
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Editors-in-chief: Kailey Cota, Sydney Dunlap
Advisers: Sydney Cranmer, Sarah Scarborough

The Shorthorn
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Dang Le
Advisers: Laurie Fox, Will Parchman

The Daily Texan
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Editors-in-chief: Anna Canizales, Mantra Dave,
Fiza Kuzhiyil, Megan Tran
Adviser: Peter Chen