2021 Pacemaker Awards in Newspaper/Newsmagazine and Specialty Magazine
NSPA names top newspapers, magazines
Pacemaker competition names 29 publications
as the ‘best of the best’
Nov. 13, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS — Honoring the nation’s best, National Scholastic Press Association has named 29 scholastic student newspapers, newsmagazines and specialty magazines as prestigious Pacemaker winners.
The 2021 winners, plus the 2021 Broadcast Pacemaker Award winners, were announced virtually during the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention, presented virtually Nov. 13, 2021.
In October, 66 newspapers, newsmagazines and specialty magazines were named Pacemaker finalists. The finalists represented 18 states and the District of Columbia as well as the United Kingdom. California and Texas set the pace with 12 finalists, followed by Missouri with eight.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” Executive Director Laura Widmer said. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
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.
In all, 150 student news and specialty publications from 31 states, the District of Columbia, South Korea and the United Kingdom entered the Pacemaker competition, representing a slight drop from the previous year.
Two teams of three judges worked remotely judging and studying every entry discussing its strengths and weaknesses.
The publications competed against those of similar types — tabloid newspaper, broadsheet newspaper, newsmagazine, specialty magazine and junior high/middle school.
Insights and observations from the judges about the Pacemaker winning publications will be posted after the Pacemaker winners are announced along with the names and professional bios of the judges.
In addition to demonstrating excellence in key areas including coverage, writing, editing, design and photography, the winning newspapers took risks and served as a strong voice for its student audience.
“With the pandemic impacting schools across the country, many of the papers and magazines submitted for the competition were produced with student journalists working under very challenging situations,” Lundgren said. “The high-quality journalism these publications provided, against all odds, is remarkable.”
In this competition, only the print news product was judged. A separate NSPA 2021 Online Pacemaker competition recognized 43 online news sites in April. Several schools earned Pacemaker honors for both their print and online products.
Fall 2021
Pacemaker Awards
Broadcast
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Specialty Magazine
Fall 2021
Pacemaker Award finalists
Broadcast
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Specialty Magazine
Spring 2021
Pacemaker Awards
Literary magazine •
Online • Yearbook
Fall 2021
Best of Show
JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention
Middle School/Junior High
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
The Town Crier
Paul Revere Middle School
Los Angeles, California
Editors: Arik Kraft, Casey Scaduto, Nico Troedsson, Amanda Wexler, Lily Williamson
Adviser: Eric Wechsler
High School Newspaper/Newsmagazine
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California
Editors: Ayah Ali-Ahmad, Oishee Misra
Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite
Verde
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California
Editors: Avery Hanna,
Laura Malagrino, Antonia Mou, Ishani Raha, Myra Xu
Adviser: Paul Kandell
The Campanile
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California
Editors: Shiva Mohsenian, Kristopher Risano, Benjamin Stein, Andrew Toteda, Adora Zhang
Adviser: Rod Satterthwaite
High Tide
Redondo Union High School
Redondo Beach, California
Editors: Sarah Falahahwazi,
Alexis Mesa, Lorraina Scolaro
Advisers: Mitch Ziegler,
Kerri Eastham
The Mirror
Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys, California
Editors: Andre Rodas,
Ani Tutunjyan
Adviser: Ron Goins
HiLite
Carmel High School
Carmel, Indiana
Editor: Rhea Acharya
Adviser: Jim Streisel
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Editor: Marta Leira
Adviser: Sara Whittaker
The North Star
Blue Valley North High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Editors: Ellianna Cierpiot,
Yasmeen Saadi
Adviser: Diana Manglos
The Express
Blue Valley Northwest High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Editor: Emma Johnson
Adviser: Jim McCrossen
The Harbinger
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Editors: Catherine Erickson,
Rose Kanaley
Adviser: Dow Tate
JagWire
Mill Valley High School
Shawnee, Kansas
Editors: Hannah Chern,
Tatum Elliott, Tanner Smith,
Ben Wieland
Adviser: Kathy Hill Habiger
The Northwest Passage
Shawnee Mission Northwest
High School
Shawnee, Kansas
Editors: Rory Dungan,
Ella Kuffour
Adviser: Susan Massy
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Editors: Talia Lissauer,
Maddie Schutte
Adviser: Lori Keekley
The Kirkwood Call
Kirkwood High School
Kirkwood, Missouri
Editors: Amara Harper,
Amelia Hurley, Tom Mueller
Adviser: Mitch Eden
North Star
Francis Howell North High School
St. Charles, Missouri
Editor: Sydney Ellison
Advisers:
Aaron Manfull, Jordyn Kiel
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins
High School
St. Louis, Missouri
Editors: Hugh Chan, Grace Hu, Ethan Willick
Adviser: Sarah Kirksey
The Catalyst
Millard West High School
Omaha, Nebraska
Editor: Emma Baker
Adviser: Mark Hilburn
Spark
Lakota East High School
Liberty Township, Ohio
Editor: Abbie Westendorf,
Shiloh Wolfork
Adviser: Dean Hume
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas
Editors: Cade Spencer,
Faith Lawerence
Adviser: Michael Reeves
Eagle Edition
Episcopal School of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Editors: Blair Batson,
Evelyn Zhao
Adviser: Ana Rosenthal
The ReMarker
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas
Editor: Robert Pou
Adviser: Ray Westbrook
The Edge
Pleasant Grove High School
Texarkana, Texas
Editors: Delia Tuttlebee,
Alex Norton, Delaynie Keeney
Adviser: Charla Harris
Tiger Times
Texas High School
Texarkana, Texas
Editors: Cate Rounds, Peyton Sims
Advisers:
Rebecca Potter, Clint Smith
tjTODAY
Thomas Jefferson High School
for Science and Technology
Alexandria, Virginia
Editors: Stuti Gupta,
Sonia Kanchan, Pratika Katiyar
Adviser: Erinn Harris
Specialty Magazine
Backcountry Review
Springfield High School
Springfield, Oregon
Editor: Niamh Houston
Adviser: Ivan Miller
Focus
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas
Editor: Cristian Pereira
Adviser: Ray Westbrook
Scientific Marksman
St. Mark’s School of Texas
Dallas, Texas
Editors: Tamal Pilla, Varun Travedi
Adviser: Bonnie Flint
