UCS student journalists earn 125 newspaper, yearbook awards in state competition

Utica Community Schools student publications earned more than 125 top state honors for excellence in writing, photography and design.

Yearbook and newspaper staffs from Utica, Eisenhower, Stevenson and Henry Ford II high schools competed at the state competition in Lansing this month.

Both the yearbook and newspaper staffs from Utica High School won Spartan Awards with Distinction, the highest honor given by the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association.

Stevenson High School’s yearbook also earned a Spartan Award with Distinction, and its newspaper earned a Gold Award. Eisenhower High School’s yearbook also earned a Spartan Award with Distinction, and its newspaper earned a Gold Award with Distinction.

Henry Ford II High School’s yearbook earned a Gold Award with Distinction, while its newspaper earned a Bronze Award with Distinction.

After judging over 3,000 newspaper entries, along with over 2,000 yearbook entries, Utica High students earned 58 individual awards in their division, Stevenson students earned 32, Eisenhower students earned 28, and Henry Ford II earned 8 in their division.

Additionally, Utica High’s Alissa Szandzik was named to MIPA’s All State Journalist Team.

Utica High School’s Warrior Yearbook
Feature Writing: Student Life
Honorable Mention
Katelyn Elder & JordanNichols
Sports Reporting
First Place
David LaBash
Second Place
Chris Shoudy & Jessie Skiba
Sports Feature Writing
Third Place
Joe Azar
Academic Writing
Second Place
Jordan Nichols & Alexandria Wisniewski
Honorable Mention
Bailee Hall & Jordan Nichols
Organizations Writing
First Place
Keaton Barbes
Second Place
Katelyn Elder
Personality Profile
First Place
Alexis Chase
Honorable Mention
Joe Azar & Chris Winter
Sidebar Coverage
Second Place
Darrien Jones & Elizabeth Wilson
Third Place
Katelyn Elder & Jordan Nichols
Headline Writing
Third Place
Bailee Hall, Jake Bono & Elizabeth Wilson
Student Life Spread
Third Place
Donovan Andrews, Ivan Sanchez & Elizabeth Wilson
Academic Spread
Second Place
Monica Borders, Keaton Barbes & Elizabeth Wilson
Honorable Mention
Alexis Chase, Latonia Parham & Elizabeth Wilson
Organization Spread
Second Place
Keaton Barbes
Honorable Mention
Rebecca Snider & Madison Allen
People Spread
First Place
Angelo Giambanco & David LeBash
Second Place
Meredith Sorensen
Advertising Spread
First Place
Saeed Habeb & Hailee Walmsley
Second Place
Saeed Habeb & Hailee Walmsley
Individual Advertisement - Business
Honorable Mention
Saeed Habeb & Hailee Walmsley
Individual Advertisement - Proud Parent
Second Place
Saeed Habeb & Hailee Walmsley
Graphics
First Place
Alissa Szandzik & Elizabeth Wilson
Honorable Mention
Elizabeth Wilson
Sports Action Photo
Third Place
Lancer Casem
Sports Feature Photo
Third Place
Gjeka Juncaj
Honorable Mention
Sydney Flater
Portrait/Personality Photo
Honorable Mention
Sydney Flater
Photo Illustration
Honorable Mention
Madeline Rotatius
Honorable Mention
Sydney Flater
Club/Performance Photo
Honorable Mention
Madeline Rotatius
School Spirit Photo
Third Place
Madeline Rotatius
Feture Presentation
First Place
Alissa Szandzik
Theme Development
First Place
Alissa Szandzik, Amanda Koss, Bailee Hall & Elizabeth Wilson
Cover
Second Place
Alissa Szandzik, Amanda Koss, Bailee Hall & Elizabeth Wilson
Endsheets
Second Place
Elizabeth Wilson
Opening & Closing
First Place
Elizabth Wilson
Division Page
Second Place
Elizabeth Wilson
Index
First Place
Alissa Szandzik, Amanda Koss, Stefanie Sarti & Jessie Skiba

Utica High School’s Arrow Newspaper
Informational Graphic
First Place
Shelby Daiek
Honorable Mention
Shelby Daiek & Chelsea Koger
Advertising Layout
First Place
Ben Byrne & Dan Biermann
Front Page: Newsmagazine Style
Honorable Mention
Chelsea Koger & Noah Chapman
Honorable Mention
Chelsea Koger & Tyler Warner
Story Package
Third Place
Staff
Editorial Opinion Page
First Place
Staff
Honorable Mention
Staff
Feature Page
First Place
Shelby Daiek & Austin Kowalczyk
Sports Page
First Place
Tyler Warner
News Page
Honorable Mention
Chelsea Koger & Shelby Daiek
Entertainment Page
Third Place
Annabel Aquino, Shelby Daiek & Keaton Barbes
Honorable Mention
Annabel Aquino, Ian Briggs & Shelby Daiek
Professionally Published Page
First Place
Chelsea Koger & Shelby Daiek
In-Depth Feature
Honorable Mention
Dylan Hamilton
Environmental, Health or Science
Honorable Mention
Alaina Jaster
Sports News Story
Honorable Mention
Ben Byrne

Stevenson High School’s Ambassador Yearbook
Sports Reporting
Honorable Mention
Tauzon Hopkins & Ashley Krywy
Sports Feature Writing
Second Place
Linda Swinyer & Ashley Krywy
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus, Kayla Crist & Torri Futch
Headline Writing
Second Place
Kayla Crist, Jordan Burton, Katelynn Moran & Jaime Titus
Sports Spread
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus, Kayla Crist & Torri Futch
Academic Spread
Second Place
Lauren DeSantis
Organization Spread
Honorable Mention
Rachel DeRieu
Individual Advertisement - Business
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus
Graphics
Honorable Mention
Keira Coffey & Rachel DeRieu
Sports Action Photo
Third Place
DeCarlo Miles & Christopher Holman
Honorable Mention
Lauren DeSantis, Steven DeSantis, Priscilla Issac & Tyler Mabie
Academic Photo
Honorable Mention
Rachel DeRieu
School Spirit Photo
Second Place
Jaime Titus
Theme Development
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus
Cover
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus
Endsheets
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus
Opening & Closing
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus
Division Page
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus
Index
Honorable Mention
Jaime Titus

Stevenson High School’s Vanguard Newspaper
Editorial Cartoon
Third Place
Rita Al-Falah
Comic Strip
Second Place
Sarah Dalmer
Third Place
Sarah Dalmer
Information Graphic
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
Advertising Layout
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
Sports Page
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
Sports Action Photo
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
News/Feature Photo
Honorable Mention
Mercedas Adams
Environmental Portrait
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
Bylined Opinion Article
Honorable Mention
Megan Sugrue
Review
Honorable Mention
Brandon Crawford
Pro/Con Editorial Columns
Honorable Mention
Amber Hines & Megan Sugrue

Eisenhower High School’s Esprit de Corps Yearbook
Feature Writing: Student Life
Honorable Mention
Jordan George
Personality Profile
Third Place
Chelsea Thayer
Sidebar Coverage
Third Place
Kristen Meszer
Sports Spread
Third Place
Jaden Henderson
Academic Spread
Honorable Mention
Marina Palazzollo
Organization Spread
Second Place
Emma Densmore, Sarah Kozubiak, Mayte Arechiga, Sean Tracy & Johannah Zweng
Honorable Mention
Rachel Wagner & Diana Juncaj
People Spread
Honorable Mention
Emma Densmore
Honorable Mention
Emma Densmore
Individual Advertisement - Business
Third Place
Johannah Zweng
Honorable Mention
Johannah Zweng
Individual Advertisement - Proud Parent
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Lathrop
Sports Action Photo
Honorable Mention
Amanda Horton
Portrait/Personality Photo
Honorable Mention
Emma Densmore
Academic Photo
Second Place
Rachel Wagner
School Spirit Photo
Honorable Mention
Lauren Kostiuk
Feature Presentation
Third Place
Kaitlyn Lathrop
Theme Development
Second Place
Kristen Meszer & Kaitlyn Lathrop
Cover
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Lathrop
Endsheets
Honorable Mention
Kaitlyn Lathrop
Opening & Closing
First Place
Kristen Meszer
Division Page
First Place
Kristen Meszer
Index
First Place
Kaitlyn Lathrop

Eisenhower High School’s Eagle’s Eye Newspaper
Front Page/Newspaper Style
First Place
Lauren Kostiuk
Editorial/Opinion Page
Second Place
Chelsea Thayer
Honorable Mention
Chelsea Thayer
Feature Page
Honorable Mention
Sarah Bratton
News Page
Second Place
Lauren Kostiuk

Henry Ford II High School’s Executive Yearbook
Organization Spread
Honorable Mention
Kennedy Schriver
Theme Development
Honorable Mention
Staff
Cover
Honorable Mention
Staff
Opening & Closing
Honorable Mention
Staff
Division Page
Third Place
Staff

Henry Ford II High School’s The Generator Newspaper
Advertising Layout
First Place
Elizabeth Babij
News Page
Honorable Mention
Staff
Review
First Place
Chelsey Kangas