SPJ Mark of Excellence Awards

Annual awards presented by regional, national Society of Professional Journalists

For over 100 years, the Society of Professional Journalists has sought to improve and protect journalism. Each year SPJ recognizes the best of student journalism through its Mark of Excellence awards (MOEs).

MOEs are first judged regionally; The Echo competes in SPJ Region 5 (Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky) in the small schools division (fewer than 10,000 students). (The exception is the Best All-Around category, in which publications are divided into daily and non-daily categories.) Regional winners in each category advance to the national MOE competition, where they compete against one another.

2014-15

Regional Awards

• Best Feature Writing - Regional Winner - The Unspoken Series By Kari Travis
• Best All Around Non-Daily Student News Paper - Regional Finalist - The Echo
• Best Sports Writing - Regional Finalist - "Olympian to Trojan" By Chris Yingling
• Best Sports Writing - Regional Finalist - "Shooting for Glory" By Chris Yingling
• Best Column Writing - Regional Rinalist - The Bigger Picture by Abigail Pollock

2012-13

National Awards

GENERAL COLUMN WRITING

NATIONAL WINNER: Kari Travis

GENERAL NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

NATIONAL 2ND PLACE: “Harvesting a Killed Crop” by Tim Riethmiller

Regional Awards

BEST IN-DEPTH REPORTING

1st Place: “What About Fairlane?” by Kara Hackett

BEST FEATURE WRITING

1st Place: “If you’ve got effort, you’ve got skills” by Kari Travis

BEST SPORTS WRITING

1st Place: “Preparing for Silence” by Gabe Bain

BEST GENERAL COLUMN WRITING

1st Place: Kari Travis

BEST SPORTS COLUMN WRITING

1st Place: Jeff Yoder

BEST SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

1st Place: “An Instant Before the Chaos” by Tim Riethmiller

BEST GENERAL NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

1st Place: “Harvesting a Killed Crop” by Tim Riethmiller

BEST EDITORIAL CARTOONING

2nd Place: Rodrigo Carneiro

BEST FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

2nd Place: “Terry Himelick” by Tim Riethmiller