2021 Pacemaker finalists in Newspaper/Newsmagazine & Specialty Magazine
NSPA names top newspapers, magazines
Pacemaker competition recognizes
66 finalists for excellence
Oct. 21, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS — Honoring the nation’s best, National Scholastic Press Association has named 66 scholastic student newspapers, newsmagazines and specialty magazines as finalists in its prestigious Pacemaker competition.
NSPA Pacemaker finalists will be recognized and the Pacemaker winners announced for the first time at the NSPA Awards Ceremony online at 4 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 13, as part of the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, presented virtually. Convention registration is required to attend the online ceremony.
“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.
The 66 Pacemaker finalists represent 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.
Of the 66 newspapers, newsmagazines and specialty magazines recognized as finalists, 29 will earn Pacemakers.
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.
Finalists are alphabetical by state.
Finalists for
fall 2021 NSPA Pacemaker Awards
Broadcast
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Specialty Magazine
Finalists for
2021 NSPA Individual Awards
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
Social Justice Reporting
Local Climate Change Reporting
Porfolio of the Year
Best Use of Social Media
COVID-19 Coverage
Junior high/middle school
Register for the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, presented virtually Nov. 1, 2021, to Jan. 15, 2022.
Enter the Best of Show competition for the fall virtual convention.
Register for the Philadelphia Storytelling Workshop.
NSPA’s first in-person Pacemaker Master Class will be presented Nov. 11-13, 2021, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.
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
The Scroll
The American School in London (Middle School)
London, England
Editor: Staff
Adviser:
Colin Bridgewater
The Sequoyah Scribe
John Sevier Middle School
Kingsport, Tennessee
Editors: Michael Fanning,
Chloe McConnell
Adviser: David Flanary
High School Newspaper/Newsmagazine
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California
Editors: Ayah Ali-Ahmad, Oishee Misra
Adviser: Julia Satterthwaite
The Accolade
Sunny Hills High School
Fullerton, California
Editor: Tyler Pak
Adviser: Tommy Li
The Gunn Oracle
Henry M. Gunn High School
Palo Alto, California
Editor: Joshua Yang
Adviser: Kristy Blackburn
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 Broadview
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School
San Francisco, California
Editors: Charlotte Ehrlich,
Grace Krumplitsch
Adviser: Tracy Anne Sena
Winged Post
The Harker School
San Jose, California
Editors: Sara Yen,
Arya Maheshwari
Adviser: Ellen Austin
The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle
Harvard-Westlake School
Studio City, California
Editors: Hannah Han,
Ethan Lachman
Adviser: Jim Burns
The Mirror
Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys, California
Editors: Andre Rodas,
Ani Tutunjyan
Adviser: Ron Goins
The BluePrint
Hagerty High School
Oviedo, Florida
Editor: Zoey Young
Adviser: Brit Taylor
The Eagle Eye
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, Florida
Editors: Ashley Ferrer,
Brianna Jesionowski,
Mackenzie Quinn, Ava Steil
Adviser: Melissa Falkowski
The Muse
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
West Palm Beach, Florida
Editors: Emma Garrett, George Wu
Adviser: Carly Gates
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School
Chicago, Illinois
Editors: Ella Beiser,
Amanda Cassel,
Nicky Edwards-Levin
Adviser: Logan Aimone
The Voice
Huntley High School
Huntley, Illinois
Editors: Ellie Armstrong,
Amelia Pozniak
Adviser: Dennis Brown
The McHenry Messenger
McHenry High School
McHenry, Illinois
Editor: Kyla Henige
Adviser: Dane Erbach
The Prospector
Prospect High School
Mount Prospect, Illinois
Editors: Elizabeth Keane, Rick Lytle
Adviser: Jason Block
HiLite
Carmel High School
Carmel, Indiana
Editor: Rhea Acharya
Adviser: Jim Streisel
The Little Hawk
Iowa City High School
Iowa City, Iowa
Editors: Julianne Berry-Stoelzle,
Jesse Hausnecht-Brown
Adviser: Jonathan Rogers
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
Paladin
Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic
High School
Wichita, Kansas
Editor: Olivia Kilby
Adviser: Jesse Bernal
The Lion’s Roar
Newton South High School
Newton, Massachusetts
Editors: Julian Fefer, Carrie Ryter
Adviser: Ashley Chapman
The Communicator Magazine
Community High School
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Editors: Zoe Buhalis,
Mia Goldstein, Mori Ono,
Tai Tworek
Adviser: Tracy Anderson
The Tower
Grosse Pointe South
High School
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Editors: Jackson Jogan,
Charlotte Parent
Adviser: Kaitlin Edgerton
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and
Summit School
St. Paul, Minnesota
Editor: Lucy Benson
Adviser: Kathryn Campbell
KEQ
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Editors: Jackie Bucaro,
Connor Rahill
Adviser: Tiffany Joseph
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Editors: Talia Lissauer,
Maddie Schutte
Adviser: Lori Keekley
The Messenger
Marquette High School
Chesterfield, Missouri
Editor: Waha Siddiqui
Adviser: Emily Jorgensen
The Globe
Clayton High School
Clayton, Missouri
Editors: Sofia Erlin,
Shane LaGesse, Angela Xiao
Adviser: Erin Sucher-O’Grady
Southpaw
Rock Bridge High School
Columbia, Missouri
Editors: Sarah Ding, Amira McKee, Isaac Yontz
Adviser: Therasia Brautigam
Le Journal
Notre Dame de Sion
Kansas City, Missouri
Editors: Avery Brundige,
Madeline Hammett
Adviser: Valerie Crook
The Dart
St. Teresa’s Academy
Kansas City, Missouri
Editors: Rachel Robinson,
Claire Smith
Adviser: Riley Cowing
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
Arlingtonian
Upper Arlington High School
Upper Arlington, Ohio
Editor: Josie Stewart
Adviser: Robin Mollica
The Spoke
Conestoga High School
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Editors: Ananya Kulkarni,
Christina Lee
Advisers:
Alison Ferriola, Cyndi Hyatt,
Claire Miller
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Editors: Audrey Kelly,
Graham McAlister
Adviser: Meaghan Rhodes
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School
Austin, Texas
Editors: Cade Spencer,
Faith Lawerence
Adviser: Michael Reeves
The Shield
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas
Editors: Ellen Fox,
Bella Russo
Advisers:
Jena Weber, Dave Winter
The Bridge Magazine
Bridgeland High School
Cypress, Texas
Editors: Joleigh Underwood
Adviser: Samantha Berry
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 Fourcast
The Hockaday School
Dallas, Texas
Editor: Ava Berger
Adviser: Julia Copeland
The Anvil
Memorial High School
Houston, Texas
Editors: Megan Benz,
Sarah Chirapurath
Adviser: Holly Hartman
The Review
St. John’s School
Houston, Texas
Editors: Noura Jabir, Abigail Poag, Grace Randall
Advisers: David Nathan,
Shelley Stein
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
The Highlander
McLean High School
McLean, Virginia
Editors: Heran Essayas, Marina Qu, Jack Shields
Adviser: Lindsay Benedict
The Standard
The American School in London
London, England
Editor: Emily Forgash
Adviser: Louisa Avery
Specialty Magazine
Viking Sports Magazine
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California
Editors: David Gormley,
Greg Laursen, Hailey Callan, Madhu Ramkumar
Adviser: Brian Wilson
Gxrls in STEM
Sidwell Friends School and Georgetown Day School
Washington, D.C.
Editors: Avani Ahuja, Layla Dawit
Advisers: Suzy Hamon,
Vinay Mallikaarjun, Darby Thompson
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
