Oct. 8, 2020
Dozens of high-school journalists have been honored in the Minnesota Scholastic Press Association’s Gold Medallion Awards for 2020.
The awards — in broadcast, literary magazine, magazine, newspaper/newsmagazine, online, social media and yearbook — were presented in the awards ceremony for the MHSPA Convention Oct. 8, 2020.
Current student work was recognized through the 2020 MNSPA Best of Show Competition, also announced at the ceremony.
The 2020 virtual convention, One Connection Minnesota, featured programming presented over four days.
Broadcast
News Story
First Place
George Floyd memorial organized in St. Louis Park
Marta Hill, Maggie Klaers
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Second Place
Are Students Actually Staying in Quarantine?
Lauryn Pietrzak
The Spartan Speaks Online
Orono High School
Third Place
COVID-19 Essential Workers
Emily Dopp
NOISE News
Spectrum High School
Fourth Place
Robotics Club
Olivia Bystrom, Gunnar Johnson, Drew Miller
The Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Fifth Place
24 Hour Play Festival
Olivia Bystrom, Gunnar Johnson, Drew Miller
The Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Broadcast
Feature Story
First Place
Taking care of mental health in the midst of a pandemic
Nina Johnson
The Spartan Speaks Online
Orono High School
Second Place
Winter One Act
Maggie Klaers
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Third Place
This is America. Speak English.
Dedeepya Guthikonda
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Fourth Place
Kobe Bryant’s Influence on CHHS Athletes
Mubarak Hassan, Maddy Lourey, Kevin Taylor
Hylander News Network
Columbia Heights High School
Fifth Place
Watching movies with [student filmmaker] Arne Christiansen
Beck Westrem
Redhawksonline
Minnehaha Academy
Literary Magazine
Cover/Spread Design
First Place
Cover
Quinn Christensen
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Second Place
Love
Makayla Bowen
Aurora
Cannon Falls High School
Third Place
Aurora
Makayla Bowen
Aurora
Cannon Falls High School
Fourth Place
The Way It Flowed
Addy Eby, Addie Morrisette, Ayla Straub
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Literary Magazine
Visual Content
First Place
The Original Avengers
Ali Larson, Vanessa Peer
Aurora
Cannon Falls High School
Second Place
Self Portrait
Maggie Baxter
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Third Place
Ripe
Isobel Alm
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fourth Place
Tears
Makayla Bowen
Aurora
Cannon Falls High School
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Page/Spread Design
Second Place
Cancel Culture: Correct or Corrupt?
Peter Heryla
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Third Place
Election design
Maggie Klaers
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Fourth Place
How much would you pay for a banana?
Michael DiNardo, Annika Johnson,
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Fifth Place
In Depth November 2019
Charlie Johnson, Lizzie Kristal, Maren Ostrem
The Rubicon
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Editorial Cartoon
First Place
What does democracy look like?
Lara Cayci
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Second Place
Hennepin County should vote to welcome refugees
Maggie Klaers
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Third Place
Who’s got it worse
Megan Fritz
The Spartan Speaks Online
Orono High School
Fourth Place
Pass-no credit systems value unclear
Maggie Klaers
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Fifth Place
Maximize the Minimum Wage
Sol Schindler
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Editorial/Opinion
First Place
Why the press does what it does
Marta Hill
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Second Place
Instagram takes away likes, completely changes platform
Paige Sanders
The Pony Express
Stillwater Area High School
Third Place
Is the College Board erasing history?
Matthew Hovelsrud
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Fourth Place
One year later
Staff
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Fifth Place
All-gender restroom a great step toward inclusion
Kira Johnson
The Quill
Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
News Story
First Place
One year later
Emily Maine, Ashwini Manokar, Ethan Rohman
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Second Place
I cant breathe: protesters unite against police violence
Marta Hill, Talia Lissauer
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Third Place
Teens’ values are shifting
Beck Westrem
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Fourth Place
Repair efforts continue after Octoer 19 fire
Lou Vang
The Quill
Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Fifth Place
Person First Day made official
Izzy Wagener
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Feature Story
First Place
Discovering new stories
Ann Oakman
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Second Place
All aboard Ms. Smaka’s magic school bus
Ellen Mi
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Third Place
Students with disabilities and distance learning
Meghan Rosvit
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Fourth Place
From Sneakerhead to Tech Guru
Seamus Foley, Andrew Lyons, Alice Petty
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Fifth Place
Reading as pastime enjoys resurgence during quarantine
Sol Schindler
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Newsmagazine
Sports Story
First Place
Edina’s adaptive sports program: a gateway to friendships, community, and opportunity
Dedeepya Guthikonda
Zephyrus
Edina High School
Second Place
Cutting through the complaints: is the sports budget fair?
Kaia Myers, Grace Schultz
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Third Place
Cross country team achieves milestone in state meet
Lynn Reynolds, Annika Rock
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fourth Place
Gymnastics makes its debut
Molly DiNardo
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Fifth Place
Perseverance and Leadership
Carter DeBus
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Online
Multimedia Story Package
First Place
George Floyd memorial organized
Marta Hill, Maggie Klaers, Talia Lissauer, Emily Ziessman
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Second Place
Climate strike unites Minnesota youth
Staff
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Third Place
St. Paul Safety erodes as gun violence continues
Lara Cayci
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fourth Place
Stole the Show
Emma Conway
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Fifth Place
Baked & Cooled
Jordan Erickson
Redhawkonline
Minnehaha Academy
Photojournalism
News Photo
First Place
George Floyd memorial
Emily Ziessman
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Second Place
Ash Wednesday chapel
Zac Anderson
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Third Place
Lake Street Bridge: solo protester
Annika Johnson
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Fourth Place
Seeing the world through every-colored glasses
Ann Oakman
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Fifth Place
CHHS Marimba Ensemble
Molly Wilson
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Photojournalism
Feature Photo
First Place
How Low Can He Go?
Mikayla Burns
The Spartan Speaks Online
Orono High School
Second Place
Senior ladies homecoming photo
Anna Benishek
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Third Place
Cooper grads fill spots on teaching staff
Lou Vang
The Quill
Robbinsdale Cooper High School
Fourth Place
Pie in your face!
Mikayla Burns
The Spartan Speaks Online
Orono High School
Fifth Place
Jordan in the river
Anna Noble
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Photojournalism
Sports Photo
First Place
Pigskin power
Bryson Felton
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Second Place
Hercy celebrates
Annika Johnson
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Third Place
The Anguish of Defeat
Mikayla Burns
The Spartan Speaks Online
Orono High School
Fourth Place
Gallery Photo Gallery: State wrestling match Feb. 27
Oliver Hansen
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Fifth Place
Cross country team achieves milestone in state meet
Per Johnson
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Photojournalism
Photo Illustration
First Place
Parkrats frequent Hyland Hills
Jack Shields
Knight Errant
Benilde-St. Margaret’s School
Second Place
Heights Herald ketchup
Gissel Inamagua, Molly Wilson
The Heights Herald
Columbia Heights High School
Third Place
Minnehaha’s Frozen Falls
Nikolas Liepins
Iris: Art + Lit
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fourth Place
Bike photo illustration
Jane Pupeza
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Fifth Place
Stand Still
Nathan Baszuro
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Social Media
Reporting
First Place
Snapchat Story: State Wrestling Coverage
Mariah Schroht
OHS Magnet
Owatonna High School
Second Place
CC sections report
Annika Johnson
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Third Place
Democratic Debate live-tweets
Julia Baron
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fourth Place
Teacher Tik Tok Tuesday
Staff
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Social Media
Promotion
First Place
Yearbook theme reveal
Zac Anderson
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Second Place
Social media content promotion
Anna Giese
The Lantern
Cannon Falls High School
Third Place
Quarantine artwork
Lucia Granja
The Rubicon Online
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fourth Place
Echo/Journalism promo video
Ryan Barnett, Maddie Schutte
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
Fifth Place
Instagram promotions of digital
Quarantine project
Beck Westrem
The Talon
Minnehaha Academy
Yearbook
Spread Design
First Place
Fall play: Our Town
Zac Anderson
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Second Place
COVID-19
Ashley Su
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Third Place
Girls Tennis
Catherine Monty, Ella Stratmann
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Fourth Place
Screens ‘N Style
Zac Anderson
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Fifth Place
Covid-19 Quarantine
Lauren Hill
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Yearbook
Academics/Club Story
First Place
Walking the Camino
Lily McClelland
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Second Place
Neverending Restoration
Lauren Hill
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Third Place
Leading from a Legacy
Rebecca Marquez
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Fourth Place
Circus!
Eva Larson
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Fifth Place
Literature That Crosses Borders
Isabel Lutgen
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Yearbook
Sports Story
First Place
Ice Rink Second Home
Maddie Smith
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Second Place
Pott Ropes in Top Spot
Addi Smith-O’Brien
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Third Place
Tennis opportunities
Lily McClelland
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Fourth Place
Crossing borders in bordercross
Madeline Fisher
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Fifth Place
Fleming takes on soccer goaltending
Griffin Thissen
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Yearbook
Student Life Story
First Place
Elijah Johnson finds himself
Nikolas Liepins
Ibid
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Second Place
Home is Where the Help is
Toby Weiss, Ethan Wilson
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Third Place
Struggling with Addiction
Soren Danelius
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Fourth Place
Bringing Honey to hospice
Anna Noble
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Fifth Place
Student spotlight
Stella Berlin
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy
Yearbook
Theme Package
First Place
The Power of Place
Staff
Kabekonian
Stillwater Area High School
Second Place
True North
Zac Anderson, Stella Berlin, Abby Hobrough, Lily McClelland
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy