NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association released the winners of the annual writing contest this week. All of the first, second and third-place winners will be recognized during the Hall of Fame dinner and banquet on Thursday, July 8, at Cumberland University. Thanks to Ron Higgins for again coordinating the judging for all of the categories in the annual writing contest.
TSWA 2020 WRITING CONTEST RESULTS
Entries were from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020
DIVISION I
GARY LUNDY WRITER OF THE YEAR – 1. Adam Sparks, The Tennessean: The winner by a wide, wide margin, led by his thorough, balanced and incredibly detailed investigative report on an expelled Vandy football player found responsible for sexual assault who continued to have access to the football facilities and activities that placed him in the proximity of his accuser. 2. John Varlas, The Daily Memphian. 3. John Glennon, The Athletic/SI.com.
BEST COLUMNIST – 1. John Adams, Knoxville News-Sentinel: There seems to be a clear division in writing styles among these entries. Four writers wrote feature-type columns, using quotes from subjects to give validity to the writers’ opinions. And then you have one writer who didn’t quote anybody in his three columns, which were bursting with strong opinions delivered with facts and perspective. 2. Mark Wiedmer, Chattanooga Times-Free Press. 3. Tom Kreager, The Tennessean.
BEST FEATURE WRITER – 1. John Glennon, The Athletic/SI.com: Superb writing and reporting in all three stories, but the feature recalling Titans’ clandestine workouts in 2012 of free agent quarterback Peyton Manning was simply amazing. Writer doesn’t get in the way of great storytelling. 2. John Varlas, The Daily Memphian. 3. Adam Sparks, The Tennessean.
BEST EVENT WRITER – 1. Mark Wiedmer, Chattanooga Times-Free-Press: Easy winner. Each of his entries checked all the boxes of excellent event stories. Creative leads, great context, hints of atmosphere, sprinkling quotes in just the right places. 2. Tom Kreager, The Tennessean. 3. Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press.
BEST NEWS WRITER – 1. Tom Kreager, The Tennessean: Great detail and clarity on controversial happenings, such as a high school walkout protesting the unexpected firing of a popular coach, as well explaining who has jurisdiction to stop high school playoff games because of COVID-19 and who doesn’t have jurisdiction to halt regular season play. 2. Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press. 3. None awarded.
BEST PREP WRITER – 1. John Varlas, The Daily Memphian: It was obvious this writer put a lot of legwork into his stories. It wasn’t just making numerous phone calls for a wonderfully written obit on the passing of a legendary Memphis-area football coach. It was about being on the scene at a protest of Shelby County School football players upset about the postponement of their seasons because of COVID-19. 2. Stephen Hargis, Chattanooga Times-Free-Press. 3. Tom Kreager, The Tennessean.
NOTE: DID NOT HAVE ENTRIES TO JUDGE BEST DAILY SECTION, BEST SPECIAL SECTION, BEST INVESTIGATIVE SERIES, BEST INDIVIDUAL LAYOUT AND BEST OUTDOOR WRITER
DIVISION II
GARY LUNDY WRITER OF THE YEAR – 1. Kevin Weaks, Union City Messenger: Three compelling subjects – a look at the MacIntyre coaching tree, a ground-breaking African-American high school football player and a longtime friend remembering Johnny Majors upon his death – were all smooth, easy reads. 2. Cecil Joyce, Daily News Journal. 3. None awarded.
BEST SPECIAL SECTION (COMBINED DIVISION II AND III) – 1. Union City Messenger 2020 Football Preview (Kevin Weaks, editor): A read-all-season section that has extras other preseason sections don’t, simple touches such as graphics filled with quick read info reviewing the previous 2019 season and the 2020 schedule stripped across the bottom using colorful logos of opponents. 2. Weakley County Press 2020 High School Football Preview (Randy Cavin, editor). 3. Macon County Times Area Basketball Preview (Craig Harris, editor).
BEST FEATURE WRITER – 1. Cecil Joyce, Daily News Journal – Winner could have done a better job choosing stories. There should be one human tragedy – such as car wrecks, overcoming deadly disease – story limit. Fortunately, the winner saved himself writing about a secondary school superfan coping with no sports because of the pandemic. 2. Taylor Vortherms, The Daily Times, Maryville. 3. Kevin Weaks, Union City Messenger.
BEST EVENT WRITER – 1. Cecil Joyce, Daily News Journal: Simply had better story angles and creative leads that made you want to read on. And when you did, there was a judicious use of quotes to keep the story flow smooth. 2. Kevin Weaks, Union City Messenger 3. None awarded.
BEST NEWS WRITER – 1. Kevin Weaks, Union City Messenger: Two of the winner’s three stories were COVID-19 pandemic-related, but both were timely and extremely informative, such as UTM officials and athletes trying to understand the ins and outs of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility offers. 2. Cecil Joyce, Daily News Journal. 3. None awarded.
BEST PREP WRITER – 1. Cecil Joyce, Daily News Journal: Excellent news story on Oakland High football program being placed on probation gave the winner an edge in this category. 2. Kevin Weaks, Union City Messenger. 3. None awarded.
NOTE: DID NOT HAVE ANY OR NOT ENOUGH ENTRIES TO JUDGE BEST SECTION, BEST COLUMNIST, BEST INDIVIDUAL LAYOUT
DIVISION III
GARY LUNDY WRITER OF THE YEAR – 1. Craig Harris, Macon County Times: His three stories were vastly different – a feature on eighth-grader gunshot victim recovering to play football, a multi-voiced reaction story to COVID-19 shutting down high school sports and a “What if?” column wondering how some of the local high school seasons would have played out if not for the COVID-19 shutdown. 2 Russell Vannozzi, Main Street Media. 3 Bill Traughber, Nashville Retrospect.
BEST FEATURE WRITER – 1. Russell Vannozzi, Main Street Media: Impressed with the thoroughness of the features by the winning writer, yet without droning on and on. Also, his leads didn’t beat around the bush. Got the reader quickly into the story. 2. Craig Harris, Macon County Times. 3. Randy Cavin, Weakley County Press.
BEST NEWS/EVENT WRITER – 1. Bill Sorrell, West 10 Media: Had the best leads, the best organization, the best flow. The lengths of all these stories were long with lots of quotes, maybe a few too many. 2. Russell Vannozzi, Main Street Media. 3. Cory Woodroof, Williamson Home Page.
NOTE: PAIRED DIVISION III SPECIAL SECTION ENTRIES WITH DIVISION II DUE TO A LACK OF ENTRIES
DIVISION IV
BEST FEATURE WRITER – 1. Chad Bishop, Vanderbilt: Writer took the reader inside each of his subjects, such Vanderbilt women’s soccer player turned placekicker Sara Fuller and put the reader in their worlds with detailed, but not overwritten writing. 2. Phil Stukenborg, University of Memphis. 3 Mark McGee, Lipscomb.
BEST EVENT WRITER – 1. Thomas Corhern, Tennessee Tech: Engaging leads but story organization and flow were strongpoints. Gave the readers all the answers to any questions they might have. 2. Anne C. Wehunt, Chattanooga. 3. Jay Blackman, Chattanooga.