robyl@lopers.unk.edu
The Antelope received 36 honors at the recent Golden Leaf Awards put on by the Northern Plains Collegiate Media Association. The event, hosted at Wayne State College on March 23, aimed to recognize outstanding work in college media and celebrate journalism excellence.
Facing off against seven other schools, The Antelope awards include Best Overall Newspaper for the third year in a row, Best Overall Design, Best Social Media Presence and Best Overall Website.
This year’s success builds upon The Antelope’s track record at the Golden Leaf Awards, following last year’s performance where UNK students secured top positions in five out of nine main categories and 19 out of 36 subcategories.
Eligibility for submission was limited to materials published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023, reviewed by a panel of journalism experts from various parts of the United States.
The awards ceremony brought together students from different colleges such as Peru State College, Bethel College, Concordia University, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Chadron State, Doane University, Black Hills State and Wayne State College.
The Antelope took home awards in many different categories, in everything from writing news stories to producing radio segments.
“The Northern Plains Collegiate Media Association is like our conference and we want to win our conference every year,” said Rob Breeding, adviser of The Antelope. “That’s always our goal. The students did really well, they put out great newspapers and I’m very proud of them.”
Another achievement for The Antelope was Josie McCormick’s win for Best Overall Website. McCormick, The Antelope’s web designer, exhibited appreciation for the award.
“Winning the award was awesome,” McCormick said. “Working with the team was a blast, and being the web editor was one of the best experiences of my life. This award means a lot to me.”
Among the students representing The Antelope at the awards were McCormick, Shelby Berglund, Traeton Harimon, Jenna Heinz, Rachel Ostdiek and Sami LaMarre.
Golden Leaf Awards
Best Overall Newspaper – 1st Place: The Antelope
Best Overall Website – 1st Place: Antelope Staff
Best Social Media Presence – 1st Place: Antelope Staff
Best Overall Design – 1st Place: Antelope Staff
Best Sports Game Story
1st Place: “Mindset change helps senior capture coveted title”, Traeton Harimon
Best General News Story
2nd Place: “Fraternity faces third hazing allegation since 2022”, Amarha Bridger
Best Sports Feature Story
2nd Place: “Tennis player regains rock solid confidence on the court”, Traeton Harimon
Best Breaking News Story
1st Place: “Repairs lead to pipe leaks within Bruner Hall”, Jenna Heinz
3rd Place: “Industry setbacks delay sorority move-in to 2024”, Jenna Heinz
Best Arts & Entertainment Story
2nd Place: “The best studying atmosphere is found at Kitt’s”, Brianna White
Best Editorial
1st Place: “We support UNK’s incident prevention measures for campus safety”, Grace McDonald
2nd Place: “Are construction officials spreading themselves too thin?”, Grace McDonald
Best Multimedia Sports Story
1st Place: “Lopers rebound after abrupt coach change”, Shelby Berglund, Traeton Harimon and Jon Willis
Best In-Depth Reporting
1st Place: “Budget cuts drafts, protests and eliminations”, Amarha Bridger, Jenna Heinz and Rachel Ostdiek
Best General News Photo
2nd Place: “Spring concert makes comeback after three years with Yung Gravy”, Shelby Berglund
Best Breaking News Photo
1st Place: “Proposed budget cuts spark student-led protest”, Shelby Berglund
Best Sports Feature Photo
1st Place: “Defensive back Tre O’Guinn”, Kosuke Yoshii
2nd Place: “All-time leading rounder”, Shelby Berglund
3rd Place: “Loper record-breaker golfing through her final season”, Shelby Berglund
Best Feature Photo
1st Place: “Student unleashes Godzilla’s rampage through artwork”, Shelby Berglund
Best Newspaper Front Page
3rd Place: “The Tempest: Shipwrecked and madly in love”, Kolton Maturey
Best Newspaper Spread
1st Place: “International Food and Culture Festival”, Chris Terry
3rd Place: “Japanese Summer Festival: Students usher in lively traditions with dances, songs, dishes”, Kolton Maturey
Best Display Ad
1st Place: “Just for Ladies Fitness”, Lily Roby
2nd Place: “Share your story with us-College of Business and Technology”, Sami LaMarre
Best House Ad
2nd Place: “Follow us on social media”, Antelope Staff
Best Audio Pregame or Post-Game Show
1st Place: “Jon Willis Pregame”, KLPR Radio
2nd Place: “Elija Mosier Pregame”, KLPR Radio
Best Audio Feature Story
1st Place: “Focus on UNK”, Maggie Wells, KLPR Radio
2nd Place: “Focus on UNK”, Kade Mohr, KLPR Radio
Best Audio Promotional Announcement
1st Place: “KLPR Daybreak Promo”, Alex Hammeke, KLPR Radio
Best Audio Public Service Announcement
2nd Place: Osteoporosis”, Maggie Wells, KLPR Radio
Best Audio Sports Play-By-Play Announcing
2nd Place: “UNK Volleyball”, Jon Willis, KLPR Radio
3rd Place: “UNK vs NW Missouri St”, Traeton Harimon, KLPR Radio
Best Video Sports Story
2nd Place: “UNK Volleyball breaks division II regular season attendance record”, Traeton Harimon