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.
Broadcast
News Story
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
Broadcast
Feature Story
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
Literary Arts Magazine
Cover/Spread Design
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
Literary Arts Magazine
Visual Content
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
Literary Arts Magazine
Literary Content
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
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Page/Spread Design
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
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Editorial Cartoon
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
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Editorial/Opinion
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?
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
News Story
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
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Feature Story
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
Newspaper/Newsmagazine
Sports Story
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
Online
Multimedia Story Package
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
Online
Interactive Graphic
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
Photojournalism
News Photo
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
Photojournalism
Feature Photo
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
Photojournalism
Sports Photo
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
Photojournalism
Photo Illustration
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
Social Media
Reporting
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
Social Media
Promotion
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
Yearbook
Spread Design
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
Yearbook
Academics/Club Story
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
Yearbook
Sports Story
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
Yearbook
Student Life Story
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
Yearbook
Theme Package
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
