The Eagle wins 15 awards at UPA’s Better Newspaper Contest – the most ever

Fifteen is the highest number of awards ever earned by the USU Eastern Eagle newspaper staff at the annual Utah Press Association’s Better Newspaper Competition that were announced Saturday night in St. George.
In its fourth year of membership in the UPA, the Eagle staff brought home five first-place awards: Best Front Page designed by Kate Johnson, Spring Glen; Best Sports Photograph by Tyson Chappell, Price; Best Website designed by Les Bowen, Oregon; Best Feature Series written by Chris Pelo, Las Vegas, Nev., about his time spent in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; and Best Staff Produced Ad designed by Ashley Stilson, Ferron.
Second place winners included Hayden Peterson, Heber City, in the Best Sports Column category: Boyd Lainhart, Boise, Idaho, Best Sports Page; Jonathon Fox, Riverton, Best Sports Photograph; Dixon Woodruff, Colorado Springs, Colo., Best Editor’s/Feature Column; Johnson, Best Feature or Community Lifestyle Page; James Bailey, Vernal, Best News Photograph; and Stilson, Best Advertising Idea.
Chris Barney, Riverton, won third place in the Best Feature Story category for his reporting on “Miles apart, Coach Vando’s wife battles cancer in Brazil,” Stilson won third in Best General News Story for her report on “Simulation mannequin creates hospital scenario” and Lainhart earned third in Best Staff Produced R.O.P. Ad Campaign for his USU Eastern Campus Store ad campaign.
“The best part about winning any award in the UPA contest, is that USU Eastern students compete against professionals in the journalism field. The Eagle has the smallest circulation of all the UPA member newspapers with 1,000 papers printed. Thus, kudos to The Eagle staff,” adviser Susan Polster, Ph.D., said.
The newspaper was judged on issues from spring 2013 with Karli Morris, Rosevelt, serving as editor; and fall 2013 with Stilson as editor. Polster attributed much of The Eagle’s success to Sun Advocate publisher Rick Shaw who sponsored and paid for The Eagle to be admitted into the UPA. “His support for The Eagle in this organization is extraordinary. For this I am deeply appreciative.”
The Eagle was judged in group one of four newspaper categories that includes all weeklies under 2,500 in circulation. Other college newspapers who are part of UPA include Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Weber State University and Utah State University.
The Utah Press Association was created in 1893 to represent Utah’s publishers. The organization is Utah’s oldest trade association. It’s website reads, “as an organization, we represent Utah’s finest, most respected journalism. Utah Press Association annually recognizes excellence in our state’s newspapers and presents awards to industry leaders.”