NSPA names top yearbooks

Pacemaker competition names 27 publications
as the ‘best of the best’

April 6, 2024

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — Honoring the nation’s best, National Scholastic Press Association named 27 scholastic yearbooks as prestigious Pacemaker winners.

The yearbook winners, plus the 2024 Innovation Pacemaker, 2023 Literary Arts Magazine Pacemaker and 2024 Online Pacemaker winners, were announced for the first time during the closing awards ceremony of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention on April 6, in Kansas City, Missouri.

“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, one of the oldest awards for scholastic journalism, has a rich tradition. The association started presenting the prestigious award to high school newspapers soon after the organization was founded in 1921. Throughout the years, yearbooks, magazines, online sites and broadcast programs were added to the competition. 

“The yearbooks selected as Pacemaker finalists represent strong visual and verbal storytelling. The judges were highly selective selecting approximately 20 percent of the entries,” Associate Director Gary Lundgren said.

Two teams of three judges devoted three days to the judging and studied every entry, discussing its strengths. The status of each entry was agreed upon by at least two of the three judges. In Pacemaker competition, the yearbooks compete against each other and are not scored on a rubric. Judges did not see their own yearbooks or hear discussion about the books.

The judges, from six states, served on two rotating teams. All six have advised Pacemaker-winning publications:

Sharon Kubicek, Texas
Tucker Love, Kansas
Kristi Rathbun, Colorado
Bruce Watterson, Georgia
Andrew Young, Arkansas
Mitch Ziegler, California

When the process was completed, 56 finalists were named representing the top 18 percent of all entries. 

The 27 Pacemaker-winning yearbooks represent the top eight percent. There are five junior/high and middle school winners and 22 high schools.

Yearbooks from 13 states earned Pacemaker awards. Kansas set the pace with four winners followed by Texas with three and California with two.

Collegiate yearbook Pacemaker winners will be announced by Associated College Press, the NSPA collegiate organization, in March.

Written comments from the judges about each of the 27 Pacemaker-winning yearbooks will be shared as part of an NSPA Pacemaker Master Class. The webinar will include an interview with the judges, and a presentation showcasing the yearbooks will be available for download for classroom use. Selected Pacemaker-winning yearbooks will also be available for download for study and inspiration.

Ingenium
Greenfield Junior High School
Gilbert, Arizona
Editors-in-chief: Maya Dykman, Angelina Mesa, Jacob Walter
Adviser: Jennifer Ann Parsons

The Round-Up
Woodland Junior High School
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Editors-in-chief: Amelia Bramlett, Gracie Epps
Adviser: Andrew Young

Lair
Drake Middle School
Arvada, Colorado
Editors-in-chief: Charlotte Jones, Sadie Weborg
Adviser: Laurel Wicke

Views
Pine Crest School
Boca Raton, Florida
Editor-in-chief: Sophie Leidner
Advisers: Jordanna Court, Vicki Spitalnick

The Scrapbook
Westfield Middle School
Westfield, Indiana
Editors-in-chief: Claudia Southworth, Victoria Webb
Adviser: Allie Staub

La Vista
Mountain View High School
Mesa, Arizona
Editor-in-chief: Kaiya De Silva
Adviser: Landon Wrather

Helios
Sunny Hills High School
Fullerton, California
Editors-in-chief: Joyce Choi, Larissa Yoon
Adviser: Lindsay Safe

Wingspan
James Enochs High School
Modesto, California
Editors-in-chief: Analyn Do, Lucille Lacuna, Savannah Montey
Adviser: Tamra McCarthy

Traditions
Del Norte High School
San Diego, California
Editor-in-chief: Bria Gilliam
Adviser: Robin Christopher

Summit
Smoky Hill High School
Aurora, Colorado
Editors-in-chief: Jaya Castaneda, Keeghan Howell
Adviser: Carrie Faust

Reflections
Brighton High School
Brighton, Colorado
Editors-in-chief: Gabriella Polliard, Elizabeth Rolfs
Adviser: Justin Daigle

Raider
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida
Editors-in-chief: Ava Burke, Chiara Zecchini
Adviser: Monica Rodriguez

Horizon
Blue Valley Northwest High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Editors-in-chief: Ella Hedin, Kylie Hess
Advisers: Jim McCrossen, Kim White

Heritage
Shawnee Mission South High School
Overland Park, Kansas
Editor-in-chief: Gretchen Schmierer Knust
Adviser: Tucker Love

Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School
Prairie Village, Kansas
Editors-in-chief: Calleigh Nachtigal, Natalee Sandstrom, Claire Schudy, Emily Winter, Ella Yun
Adviser: Dow Tate

The Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School
Shawnee, Kansas
Editor-in-chief: Katie Burke
Adviser: Susan Massy

Twister
Casady School
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Editors-in-chief: Holly Burkhart, Braden Gerard, Ria Sachdev
Adviser: Bonnie Gerard

Lion’s Roar
Christ Presbyterian Academy
Nashville, Tennessee
Editors-in-chief: Avery Parker, Corinne Price
Adviser: Heather Nagel

Ledoian
Aledo High School
Aledo, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Kaley Schabel
Adviser: Emily Pyeatt Arnold

The Bard
Hill Country Christian School
Austin, Texas
Adviser: John Horvath

Carillon
Episcopal School of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Editors-in-chief: Lyles Etcheverry, Sally Tomlin
Adviser: Ana Rosenthal

The Legend
El Dorado High School
El Paso, Texas
Editor-in-chief: Brenden Malacara
Adviser: Vanessa Martinez

Dragon
Round Rock High School
Round Rock, Texas
Editors-in-chief: Gabriella Cary, Briana Nelson
Adviser: Sharon Kubicek

The Hawk
Pleasant Grove High School
Texarkana, Texas
Editors-in-chief: Hailey Epps, Camille Harrelson, Mollie Hemphill, Elaina Shellogg
Adviser: Charla Harris

Crag
Turner Ashby High School
Bridgewater, Virginia
Editors-in-chief: Addison Bridges, Kacey Lam
Adviser: Leslie Stevens

The Legacy
Potomac Falls High School
Sterling, Virginia
Editors-in-chief: Molly DeHaven, Talia Firetti, Maya Kassir, Angelina Lam, Emma Meehan, Sarah Pappalardo, Abby Stephens, Natalie Wike
Adviser: Emily Everett

Pantera
Mead High School
Spokane, Washington
Editor-in-chief: Elizabeth Terrill
Adviser: Makena Busch