ACP names top student collegiate magazines

Prestigious competition recognizes 11 Pacemakers as the “best of the best”

Nov. 7, 2026

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Honoring the nation’s best, the Associated College Press named TK student magazine as winners of its prestigious Pacemaker during an awards ceremony at the Fall National College Media Convention in Washington.

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

The prestigious Pacemaker recognizes overall excellence and distinguishes the top student media produced during a particular school year. The award started shortly after the association was founded in 1921 and is often regarded as the most-competitive, most-honored award in collegiate journalism.

In August, 39 magazines were named Pacemaker finalists. The finalists represented 15 states. California, North Carolina and Oregon set the pace with five finalists each followed by Florida and Virginia with four.

Magazines competed in feature/general audience and literary arts divisions. Magazines produced at four-year and two year institutions competed in separate categories.

Three judges, with extensive magazine-editing and advising experience, studied each entry discussing and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.

Gary Lundgren, ACP associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition, noted the quality of the winning student magazines rivals those produced by professionals.

“The verbal and visual storytelling in the winning magazines is incredible and robust long-form stories combined with shorter quick-reads to pace the reader through the pages of the feature magazines,” Lundgren said.

“And the creativity displayed in the literary arts magazines is incredible — the unique formats and creative designs make the magazines themselves a work of art,” he said.

Fall 2026 awards

Fall 2026 Pacemakers

Broadcast
Innovation
Magazine
Multiplatform
Newspaper/Newsmagazine

2026 Individual Awards

Story of the Year
Reporter of the Year
Multimedia Story of the Year
Design of the Year
Photo of the Year
Cartoon of the Year
Broadcast Story of the Year

Best of Show

Individual Recognition
Staff Recognition

El Sol
Southwestern College (CA)
Editors-in-chief: Valeryah Lara-Urrea, Yanelli Zavina Robles
Advisers: Max Branscomb, Kenneth Pagano

Best of Boone
Appalachian State University (NC)
Editor-in-chief: Meg Frantz
Adviser: Leigh Tauss

Ascend
University of Oregon
Editors-in-chief: Jay Bramhall, Grace Mangali
Adviser: Ivan Miller

Ponder
Black Hills State University (SD)
Editors-in-chief: Alec Butterfield, Nathan Feller, Noah Westergaard
Advisers: Justin Bergh, Skott Chandler, Allen Morris

SMU Look
Southern Methodist University (TX)
Editors-in-chief: Chloe Gjuraj, Cristiana Montalvan
Advisers: Andrea Arterbery, Jenny B. Davis

WALL Literary Journal
Saddleback College (CA)
Editor-in-chief: Aidan Hunt
Adviser: Gina Shaffer

Phoenix
Valencia College (FL)
Editor-in-chief: Staff
Advisers: Meg Curtiss, Jackie Zuromski

The Bridge
Bridgewater State University (MA)
Editor-in-chief: Katherine Knapp
Advisers: Alain Blunt, Jessica Melendy

The Peel Review
Appalachian State University (NC)
Editor-in-chief: Ember Jones
Adviser: Leigh Tauss

Windhover
North Carolina State University
Editor-in-chief: Josie Headley
Adviser: Ray Black III

Volition
George Mason University (VA)
Editor-in-chief: Natalia Romero
Adviser: Jason Hartsel