NSPA names top news broadcasts

Pacemaker competition recognizes 17 finalists for excellence

MINNEAPOLIS — Honoring the nation’s best, the National Scholastic Press Association has named 17 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 on Nov. 15, at the NSPA Awards Ceremony during the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville.

“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 17 Pacemaker finalists represent seven states. Florida set the pace with five finalists followed by California and Texas both with four. Six of the finalists will earn Pacemakers.

Each school entered three programs from the 2024-25 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, high school shows were divided into live and pre-recorded categories. The frequency of the broadcast was also considered. All middle school/junior high broadcasts competed in a separate category.

“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.”

Please join us at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention Nov. 13-16, 2025, in Nashville.

The convention offers hundreds of instructional sessions, keynote speakers from national newsmakers, dozens of media critiques, JEA’s popular on-site media contests and the announcement of NSPA Pacemaker winners. NSPA also offers a convention Best of Show competition that celebrates current student media work.

CHSTV
Carlsbad High School
Carlsbad, California
Producers/editors: Staff
Adviser: Kurt Kohnen

Beyond DP
Dos Pueblos High School
Goleta, California
Producers/editors: Alex Gardiner, Jonathan Harling, Sophia Pixley
Advisers: Doug Caines, John Dent

InFocus
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California
Producers/editors: Henry Leins, Vincent Wong
Adviser: Rod Satterthwaite

RHS KRAM
Rampart High School
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Producers/editors: Staff
Adviser: Patrick Moring

CCNN Live
Christopher Columbus High School
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Christopher Gonzalez, Morgan Lewis, Brandon Rodriguez
Advisers: Joseph Busatto, Omar Delgado, Daniella Rodriguez

The Voyage
Christopher Columbus High School
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Nicholas Dovales, Jason Fernandez, Patricio Zaldivar
Advisers: Joseph Busatto, Omar Delgado, Daniella Rodriguez

Raider305
Gulliver Preparatory School
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Staff
Adviser: Zach Garrett

WSRH Extra
Seminole Ridge High School
Westlake, Florida
Producers/editors: Reagan Bresnahan, Rachel Hunter, Kyra Taub, Brooke Voiret, Heath Wood
Adviser: Earle Wright

The Odyssey
Somerset Academy Prep
Miami, Florida
Producers/editors: Andrew Hernandez, Natalie Marchand
Advisers: Natacha Delgado, Dalisa Robles

Code Blue News
Holbrook Middle-High School
Holbrook, Massachusetts
Producers/editors: Carmen Sautelet, Antoli Theodate
Adviser: Zack Gorman

WTHS Media
Tupelo High School
Tupelo, Mississippi
Producers/editors: Awa Camara, Channing Hooper, Thomas Roper
Adviser: Katrina Berry-Ivy

HTV Magazine
Hillcrest High School
Springfield, Missouri
Producers/editors: Natalie Arbuthnot, Alex Kepler, Camryn Summers
Adviser: Rae Snobl

Lincoln Live
Gahanna Lincoln High School
Gahanna, Ohio
Producers/editors: Evelyn Cahill, Taylor Neer, Maddie White
Adviser: Mark Lowrie

GHS Insider
Germantown High School
Germantown, Tennessee
Producers/editors: Amir Abdur-Rasheed, Kaitlyn Jeffries, Chris Peña, Michelle U, Kendall Stewart
Advisers: Hope Henager, Mallory Kenney, Leonid Mazor

KCBY
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas
Producers/editors: Sydney Beach, Larry Liu, Jack Mancuso
Adviser: Irma Lazos-Kennedy

Eagle Nation News
Prosper High School
Prosper, Texas
Producers/editors: Nuala Adams, Colton Boston, Christina Krasnova, Isabel Multer
Adviser: Michael Hatch

Hill Top News
Rock Hill High School
Frisco, Texas
Producers/editors: Tashvi Pasupulati, Aiden Richmond, Brian Telles, Ricardo Yanez
Adviser: Margie Raper