MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL PRESS

Oct. 18, 2023

Minnesota High School Press Association has announced winners of its Gold Medallion Awards for 2022-23.

The awards recognize the academic year’s top individual work in seven categories — broadcast, literary arts magazine, newspaper/newsmagazine, online, photojournalism, social media and yearbook.

They were presented at the Minnesota High School Journalism Convention, Oct. 18, at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

First Place
Heaven Gg, Sydney Miller
Hylander News Network
Columbia Heights High School
Racism in the City Council

Second Place
Arianna Bechtold, Ruby Curtis
NOISE News
Spectrum High School
Brady Johnson

Third Place
Anoosha Ali, Heaven Gg, Danquyen Le
Hylander News Network
Columbia Heights High School
New York Seminar

Fourth Place
Oren Hamilton, Cooper Howe, Aiden Primeau
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Paula Harrison retires

First Place
Isaac Bengtson, Izzie Walters
NOISE News
Spectrum High School
Pride

Second Place
Larisa Kadric, Rae Lawrence
Hylander News Network
Columbia Heights High School
Track and Field Day

Third Place
Jazzy Allison, Jade Axel, Alex Reedy
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Jackson Tweed

Fourth Place
Isaac Bengtson, Izzie Walters
NOISE News
Spectrum High School
Tattoos show character

Fifth Place
Jazzy Allison, Jade Axel, Alex Reedy
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Andrew Weaver retires

First Place
Staff
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Illusion

Second Place
Lydia Pedersen, Ava Brokate
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
2022-23 cover

First Place
Madysen King, Emma Brechtel, Beth Carpenter, Avery Rustad, Makenna Collins
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Ceramics

Second Place
Ava Brokate
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
In the Dark

First Place
Tristin Qualey
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Lake Pine

Second Place
Cara Erickson
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Into the Woods

First Place
Carmela Cadja
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Controversy surrounds the Willow Project

Second Place
Maya Gjelhaug, Rachel Zou
Mounds View Viewer
Mounds View High School
Youth sports culture

Third Place
Grace Kassebaum
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Is AI taking over?

Fourth Place
McKinley Garner
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Between light and dark

Fifth Place
Johanna Pierach
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
College search

First Place
Aubree Bigger
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Phones cause addictions in teens

Second Place
Annika Kim
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Liar. Liar.

Third Place
Sadie Fox
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Point/ Counter-point: The impact of states’ rights

Fourth Place
Aubree Bigger
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Office hours should be reinstated

Fifth Place
Mimi Huelster
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Promote a culture of acceptance and belonging

First Place
Claire Kim
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Using accurate terms means the world

Second Place
Carmela Cadja
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Affirmative action policies are not the enemy

Third Place
Sydney Rodd
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
“Golden tickets” prove effective, reduce tardies

Fourth Place
Nathaniel Baszuro, Lauren Ritz
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
EVs not ready for prime time

Fifth Place
Staff
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Staff Ed: Are we one BSM?

First Place
Grace Miller
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Road to Indianapolis

Second Place
Owen Hoffner
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Elaine Eksteadt: A half-century at MA

Third Place
Brynja Lockman, Lucy Loes
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Students shelter at Beth-El due to gas leak

Fourth Place
Jessie Garcia
The Quill
Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Dr. Herman retiring as Cooper principal

Fifth Place
Lavender Schleder
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Benjamin Straka selected as Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction

First Place
Celeste Eckstein
Zephyrus
Edina High School
“Storytelling can be a catalyst for conversation:” Alec Fischer’s journey from EHA to Forbes 30 Under 30

Second Place
Eliza Farley, Maddy Fisher, Claire Kim
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
What are eating disorders?

Third Place
Rae Lawrence
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Alumnus models well-rounded success

Fourth Place
Tennyson Shultz
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
A different option for the terminally ill

Fifth Place
Michael Fredericks
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Andrew Weaver retires after more than 30 years of teaching

First Place
Kyra Schoenfelder
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
An official shortage

Second Place
Greta Gesick
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
When athletes struggle with food

Third Place
Michaela Dooley
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Inside the commitment process of student-athletes

Fourth Place
Jose Rosas
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Out of the darkness

Fifth Place
Noah Plahn
The Quill
Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Athletes try to balance school, sports

First Place
Megan Cornell, Andrew Stoa
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Celebrated astronaut and BSM alum Mark Vande Hei returns to campus

Second Place
Ivy Raya
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fencing’s first tournament leads to SPA dominance

Third Place
Clara McKoy
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Hop on Sushi Train

Fourth Place
Lily Butner, Avery Hawkinson
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Volleyball takes a trip to state and wins historic second place title

First Place
Grace Miller, Lauren Ritz, Nathan Baszuro
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Off to college

Second Place
Staff
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Thirsty? Fill it up

Third Place
Staff
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
What do you know about photography?

Fourth Place
Lauren Ritz, Grace Miller, Nathan Baszuro
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Satire Week Grid 2023

First Place
Rita Li
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Last ones remaining

Second Place
Matthew Scherber
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Painting the rock

Third Place
Curtis Craig
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Junior Trent Page listens to a new friend

Fourth Place
Matthew Scherber
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Victoria Viteri competes as a barrel racer

Fifth Place
Maya Disher
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
The Oil Can 

First Place
Olivia Weggman-Krider
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Mochi Donuts

Second Place
Matthew Scherber
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Abigail Deckert leads The Herd 

Third Place
Anavie Bernick
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Sophie Stillson-Baillet works on a puzzle

Fourth Place
Josephine Johnson
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Into the Woods dress rehearsal

Fifth Place
Danielle Hobbie
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Partners in a peer editing exercise

First Place
Matthew Scherber
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Kefeyen Tita splits two defenders

Second Place
Matthew Scherber
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Torii Johnson goes in for a layup

Third Place
James Wilson
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Lucy Askegaard struggles with a Chisago Lakes forward

Fourth Place
Ezra Victor
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Lorenzo Levy makes a leaping reverse layup

Fifth Place
Greta Wilson
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Heights lacrosse

First Place
Anna Fiddelke, Iris Libson
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Homecoming dance

Second Place
Erica Kyllonen, Breanne Bajema, Alaina Lee, Scarlett Peterson, Anna Kugler
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Juniors create their own Pantone color

Third Place
Clara McKoy
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
It doesn’t stop at sushi

Fourth Place
Iris Libson
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West

Fifth Place
Ezra Riemermann
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Media has long stoked fears

First Place
Celeste Eckstein, Jane Porter
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Live coverage hockey state tournament

Second Place
Malak Alkhatib, Althea Barrows, Lilly Jaegar
Zephyrus
Edina High School

Third Place
Oren Hamilton
Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
The Polar Plunge

Fourth Place
Istabraq Sheikh, Greta Wilson
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Live coverage soccer

First Place
Rae Lawrence, Makagbe Sanoe, Greta Wilson
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
heightsherald Instagram

Second Place
Ellanor Splinter
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Which Zephrus story are you going to read tomorrow?

Third Place
Annelise Becker
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Get it, don’t forget it

First Place
Lauren Miriovsky, Victoria Viteri, Scarlett Peterson, Anna Kugler
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Setting up for success

Second Place
Carly Pitts, Abby Rich
The Spartan
Orono High School
Senior Hall of Fame

Third Place
Leona Barocas, Sophia Bietz, Echo Dayton, Hadley Dobish
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
In 10 Years

Fourth Place
Amelia Butler, Adam Heinecke, Halle Nichols, Zack Jones
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Get up and dance

Fifth Place
Echo Dayton
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
On the slopes

First Place
Esther Waktola
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
“Reed my lips …”

Second Place
Halle Nichols
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
We are avid

Third Place
Ruth Green
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
State champs

First Place
Reagan Stromberg, Jack Henry
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Ice ice baby

Second Place
Max Barton, Eli Zumbusch, Avery Thompson, Lauren Miriovsky
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
United & excited

First Place
Thomas Chen
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Immigrant story inspires Yash Kshirsagar

Second Place
Max Barton, Scarlett Peterson
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Powerpuff girls

Third Place
Evan Morris
Ibid
St Paul Academy and Summit School
Ben Chen is in for more than the win

Fourth Place
Hattie Pool, Gavin Juenke
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Gowns & crowns

Fifth Place
Izzy Haag, Macy Rasmussen, Maddy Kulberg, Jamie Bebo
The Spartan
Orono High School
Living the lake life

First Place
Staff
Tatanka
Buffalo High School
Flourish

Second Place
Leona Barocas, Sophia Bietz, Echo Dayton, Hadley Dobish
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fill in the blank

Third Place
Anna Clover, Skye Thalhuber
The Spartan
Orono High School
On the flip side

Fourth Place
Curtis Craig
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Reflection