Top collegiate websites sites announced

ACP Pacemaker competition names 32 finalists
as ‘the best of the best’ — award presentation shifts
to spring conference

Feb. 7, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS — Associated Collegiate Press has recognized 32 online news and feature sites as finalists in the Online Pacemaker competition.

The finalists will be honored and the Pacemaker winners announced during Saturday’s awards ceremony at the ACP Spring National College Media Conference, March 7-9, 2024, in San Diego, at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine.

For the first time, in 2024, the Online Pacemaker is being presented in the spring. 

“This shift allows the sites to be reviewed in real time during the school year and for the student editors to also be recognized in real time rather than in the fall of the next school year,” associate director Gary Lundgren said.

Early in 2024, judging teams began reviewing the sites, focusing on content posted after June 16, 2023.

In addition to reviewing the overall sites, judges paid particular attention to the URLs of three content presentations suggested by editors on the contest entry form.

The judges are now visiting the sites of the Pacemaker finalists on a regular basis before selecting the Pacemakers on March 1.

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

The 32 finalists represent 18 states. California set the pace with seven finalists, followed by Michigan with three.

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.

“Today’s best online sites are platforms for rich multimedia storytelling,” 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. The deadline is June 17, 2024, for Broadcast, Innovation, Magazine, Multiplatform and Newspaper/Newsmagazine Pacemaker competitions. Those finalists will be announced in September 2024 and awarded at the fall convention.

The Hornet
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California
Editors-in-chief: Mikey Moran, Mariana Ramos, Jake Rhodes
Adviser: Jessica Langlois

el Don
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, California
Editor-in-chief: Staff
Advisers: Sarah Bennett, Jacqueline Schlossman

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

Daily Forty-Niner
California State University, Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Editors-in-chief: Christal Gaines-Emory, El Nicklin
Advisers: Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, Gary Metzker

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

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

Daily Trojan
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Editors-in-chief: Jonathan Park, Sanya Verma
Advisers: Mona Cravens, Jeff Tylicki

The State Hornet
Sacramento State University
Sacramento, California
Editor-in-chief: Mercy Sosa
Adviser: Fernando Gallo

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

Distraction
University of Miami
Miami, Florida
Editor-in-chief: Lizzie Kristal, Amanda Mohamad
Adviser: Randy Stano

The Red and Black
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Editor-in-chief: Elizabeth Rymarev
Adviser: Kayla Renie

The Daily Northwestern
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Editor-in-chief: Avani Kalra
Adviser: Stacia Campbell

Ball Bearings
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
Editor-in-chief: Danieal Morales
Adviser: Lisa Renze-Rhodes

Urban Plains
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa
Editor-in-chief: CJ Younger
Adviser: Jeff Inman

The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Editors-in-chief: Sabine Martin, Jami Martin-Trainor
Adviser: Jason Brummond

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

College Heights Herald
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Editor-in-chief: Alexandria Anderson
Advisers: Chuck Clark, Carrie Pratt

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

The Maroon
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
Editors-in-chief: Meleigh Crespo, Patrick Hamilton
Adviser: Michael Giusti

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: Shannon Stocking, Kate Weiland

Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
Editor-in-chief: Delaney Rogers
Adviser: Jeremy Whiting

Central Michigan Life
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Editor-in-chief: Zipporah Abarca
Adviser: Regan Foster

The Minnesota Daily
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Editor-in-chief: Alex Steil
Adviser: Charlie Weaver

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

The NewsHouse
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Editor-in-chief: Julia Carden
Adviser: Jon Glass

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

Elon News Network
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Ryan Kupperman
Adviser: Kelly Furnas

The Vanderbilt Hustler
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Editor-in-chief: Rachael Perrotta
Advisers: Chris Carroll, Paige Clancy

The Shorthorn
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Mandy Huynh
Adviser: Laurie Fox

The Battalion
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
Editors-in-chief: Caleb Elizondo, Zoe May
Adviser: Spencer O’Daniel

The Breeze
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Editor-in-chief: Grant Johnson
Advisers: Brad Jenkins, Ryan Parkhurst