NSPA names top news broadcasts
Pacemaker competition recognizes 21 finalists for excellence
Oct. 7, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS —Honoring the nation’s best, the National Scholastic Press Association has named 21 scholastic news broadcasts as finalists in its prestigious Pacemaker competition.
NSPA Pacemaker finalists will be recognized and the Pacemaker winners announced for the first time at the awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 12, as part of the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, in St. Louis, Missouri.
“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” executive director Laura Widmer said. “NSPA is honored to recognize the best of the best.”
Pacemaker
finalists
Broadcast
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Specialty Magazine
Pacemakers in Innovation, Literary Arts Magazine, Online and Yearbook will be presented in spring 2023.
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.
The 21 Pacemaker finalists represent 11 states. Texas set the pace with six finalists followed by Florida and Missouri, each with three.
Each school entered three programs from the 2021-22 school year. A team of three judges, collegiate broadcast professors and professionals in the broadcast industry, viewed each entry discussing and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses before selecting the finalists and Pacemakers.
“The winning entries stood out for not just their technical quality, but in the stories being covered,” Gary Lundgren, associate director and contest coordinator, said. “The writing, editing, hosting and the willingness to tackle relevant topics make these exceptional newscasts from start to finish.”
For judging, shows were divided into live and pre-recorded categories. The frequency of the broadcast was also considered.
“The quality of the broadcasts is incredible and gets stronger each year,” Lundgren said. “It is exciting to watch the growth in broadcast programs in high schools across the country.”
Finalists are alphabetical by state.
Register for the convention.
Enter the convention’s Best of Show contest.
Individual Award finalists
Broadcast Story of the Year
Cartoon of the Year
Design of the Year
Digital Story of the Year
Photo of the Year
Story of the Year
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards
Local Climate Change Reporting
Portfolio of the Year
Best Use of Social Media
Junior High/Middle School
Pacemaker 100
To celebrate our 100th birthday, we’ll honor our top Pacemaker winners and recognize the Top 10 at the fall convention.
Broadcast Pacemaker finalists
CHSTV Worldwide
Carlsbad High School, Carlsbad, California
Producers/editors: Entire class
Adviser: Douglas Green
CCNN Live
Christopher Columbus High School, Miami, Florida
Producer/editor: Emilio Boutros
Advisers: Omar Delgado, Christina Insua
The Voyage
Christopher Columbus High School, Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Emilio Boutros, Sebastian Broche, Alexis Vivanco
Advisers: Omar Delgado, Christina Insua
Monthly Mane
Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida
Producers/editors: Brianna Bibona, Riley Finnegan,
Kaylin Herbet, Chris Khalil, Delaney Warner, Lillian Wray
Adviser: Kevin Patterson
WHIS News
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Atlanta, Georgia
Producers/editors: James Kelley, Ryan Kelly, Kate Mitchell
Advisers: Joe Conway, James Jackson
DTV News
Davison High School, Davison, Michigan
Producer/editor: Ryan Riopelle
Advisers: Amy Lesko, Randy Scott
Tiger Broadcast
Lee’s Summit High School, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Producers/editors: Makya Clayton, Aaliyah Roland
Adviser: Elaine McDonald
HTV Magazine
Hillcrest High School, Springfield, Missouri
Producers/editors: Abigail Bull, Jordan Shafferkoetter
Adviser: Dave Davis
FHNtoday TV
Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
Producers/editors: Kyle Button, Maddie Clark
Adviser: Aaron Manfull
MWHS Wildcat News
Millard West High School, Omaha, Nebraska
Producers/editors: Miguel Paredes Reyes, Evan Vaslow
Adviser: Mark Hilburn
Lincoln Live
Gahanna Lincoln High School, Gahanna, Ohio
Producers/editors: Audrey Paquette, Rei Tedoco
Adviser: Mark Lowrie
The Lincoln Sports Zone
Gahanna Lincoln High School, Gahanna, Ohio
Producers/editors: Angel Christmon, Avery Hall, Lily Sager, Jillian Sanders
Adviser: Mark Lowrie
Penn Trafford TV
Penn Trafford High School, Harrison City, Pennsylvania
Producers/editors: Morgan Fong, Jake Pleins
Adviser: Steve Vinton
RNE-TV Live
Richland Northeast High School, Columbia, South Carolina
Producers/editors: Brennan Davis, Christina Foster,
Deim Marion Gannaban
Adviser: Andrew Chambers
Hawk TV
Hebron High School, Carrollton, Texas
Producer/editor: Ava Caballero-Romo
Adviser: Steven Jones
KCBY Weekly
Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas
Producers/editors: Jada D’Silva, Conner Escobar,
Hally Leonard, Thea Massi
Adviser: Irma Lazos-Kennedy
Coyote Nation TV
Heritage High School, Frisco, Texas
Producers/editors: Chioma Agbor, Sumit Nalavade,
Alysen Rose, Chasity Samples
Adviser: Candace Bagwell
WTV Daily Update
Liberty High School, Frisco, Texas
Producers/editors: Karina Grokhovskaya, Kirthi Gummadi, Alyssa Murphy,
Cooper Ragle, Varun Saravanan
Adviser: Brian Higgins
Hill Top News
Rock Hill High School, Frisco, Texas
Producers/editors: Sarah Cronin, Connor Fuxa, Kyla Lewis
Adviser: Margie Raper
Eagle Nation News
Prosper High School, Prosper, Texas
Producer/editor: Mithra Cama
Advisers: Michael Hatch, Natalie Merrill
WMHS News
McLean High School, McLean, Virginia
Producers/editors: Kate Burke, Arman Nikmorad
Adviser: Lindsay Benedict