Full Results 2017

Congratulations to all Top of the Rockies 2017 winners! Anyone interested may download a searchable spreadsheet of all the results here, with judges’ comments: TOR2017results.

Winning entries are listed below, some with live links to the award-winning work. If a link is not posted to your work and you’d like there to be, please send an email to news@spjcolorado.com with the best (single) link and we will update it.

News Reporting: Single Story

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Lauren Villagran of the Albuquerque Journal with Illegal immigration is surging in New Mexico 

Second Place: Jon Murray of the Denver Post with RTD’s rail system is having its biggest year, but Denver has many transit gaps 

Third Place: Chandra Johnson of the Deseret News with Why some men are opting out of life and escaping into digital media 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Nat Stein of the Colorado Springs Independent with Residents make do, but don’t make peace, with their contaminated water

Second Place: J. Adrian Stanley of the Colorado Springs Independent with The house on Misty Drive

Third Place: Angela K. Evans of the Boulder Weekly with Hazardous Consequences

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Mitchell Byars of the Boulder Daily Camera with Colorado rape sentencing vexes

Second Place: Sarah Zoellick of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Local sex trade no longer in shadows

Third Place: Cathy Proctor and Kathleen Lavine of the Denver Business Journal with RTD’s ride into the future

News Feature

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Alan Prendergast of Westword with Torch Song

Second Place: Matthew Piper and Trent Nelson of the Salt Lake Tribune with Alone on the range

Third Place: Daphne Chen of the Deseret News with Surgeon remembers 9/11

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Kasey Cordell of 5280 with Final Post

Second Place: Robert Sanchez of 5280 with How One Colorado Man Disappeared While Hunting For Hidden Treasure 

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Jason Pohl and Walbert Castillo of the Fort Collins Coloradoan with 24 hours of chaos

Second Place: Doug Chartier of Law Week Colorado with Head of the Earth

Third Place: Joey Peters of New Mexico Political Report with Death at a Skate Park: Putting together the pieces of a deadly night 

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000 

First Place: Angus Thuermer of WyoFile with The last hours of a legendary Wyoming alpinist 

Second Place: Amelia Arvesen of the Longmont Times-Call with Healing with art

Third Place: Amelia Arvesen of the Longmont Times-Call with Snowboarder

Investigative/Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Alex Stuckey of the Salt Lake Tribune with Resurrecting the Torrey Green investigations

Second Place: Christopher N. Osher and David Olinger of the Denver Post with Drug addicted and dangerous

Third Place: Chris Walker of Westword with Played Out

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Quentin Young of 5280 with Rogue Agent

Second Place: Angela K. Evans of Boulder Weekly with Opposite of America

Third Place: Mark Shenefelt, Cathy McKitrick and Benjamin Zack of Standard-Examiner with Box Elder man’s death in jail sparks questions about inmate treatment in N. Utah

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999 

First Place: Susan Greene of the Colorado Independent with Exonerated: Clarence Moses-EL’s 29-year fight to clear his name

Second Place: Kevin Fixler, Jack Queen, Kailyn Lamb, Ben Trollinger, Austyn Williams and Heather Jarvis of the Summit Daily News with Housing Divided (13-part series) 

Third Place: Jeff Proctor of the Santa Fe Reporter with Puff of Smoke

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Andrew Graham and Dustin Bleizeffer of WyoFile with Gillette staggers under coal layoffs

Second Place: Amelia Arvesen of the Longmont Times-Call with In the name of safety

Third Place: Randy Essex and Jon Scharfencamp of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent with I-70 closures

Public Service

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

*First Place: Erin Alberty, Jessica Miller, Rachel Piper, Sheila McCann, Peggy Fletcher Stack and Matthew Piper of the Salt Lake Tribune with Reporting spurs a transformation at Brigham Young University

*The Salt Lake Tribune’s staff won a Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for its work reporting on the treatment of sexual assault victims by Brigham Young University. Its work also won the first place award in the Top of the Rockies’ Public Service award. However, three articles listed on the Pulitzer page (available at the link above) were not part of the Top of the Rockies competition – those published on May 19, July 24 and Nov. 19, 2016.

Second Place: Monte Whaley, John Ingold, RJ Sangosti and Lindsay Pierce of the Denver Post with Drilling Through Danger: Safety on the oil and gas fields

Third Place: Diane Diamond of the Albuquerque Journal with Who Guards The Guardians?

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Paige Blankenbuehler, Matt Hildner, J.R. Logan, Staci Matlock, Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Ariel Carmona Jr., Andrew Martinez, Jennifer Garcia, Mary Charlotte Domandi, Zelie Pollon, Cody Hooks, Ellen Berkovitch, Lyndsey Gilpin, Kate Schimel, John Kalef, Lucia Duncan, Leah Todd and Ben Goldfarb of Solutions Journalism Network with Small Towns, Big Change

Second Place: Natasha Gardner of 5280 with Our Children, Ourselves

Third Place: Chris Outcalt of 5280 with Still Life

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Erin McIntyre and Gabrielle Porter of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel with Failure to protect

Second Place: Carie Canterbury of the Canon City Daily Record with Addressing Homelessness in Fremont County

Third Place: Carie Canterbury of the Canon City Daily Record with Suicide Series

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: John Hazlehurst of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Local water contamination

Second Place: Amelia Arvesen of the Longmont Times-Call with Tenants in limbo

Third Place: Buffalo Bulletin staff of the Buffalo Bulletin with Public service

General Reporting: Series or Package

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place; Jesse Hyde, Lois M. Collins and Lauren Fields of the Deseret News with Suicide series: Affluent and rural challenges

Second Place: Allison Pond and Lauren Fields of the Deseret News with Refugee series: A Deseret News editor visits a camp, etc.

Third Place: Chris Walker of Westword with Homeless stories

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: J. Adrian Stanley of the Colorado Springs Independent with Psychedelic miracle 

Second Place: Pam Zubeck of the Colorado Springs Independent with Southern Delivery System

Third Place: Jeff Proctor of New Mexico In Depth Inc. with Affidavit: ABQ police have illegally deleted, altered videos of shootings

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Kevin Fixler, Jack Queen, Kailyn Lamb, Ben Trollinger, Austyn Williams and Heather Jarvis of the Summit Daily News with Housing Divided (13-part series)

Second Place: Jason Pohl, Sarah Kyle, Nick Coltrain, Miles Blumhardt, Mollie Muchna, Johnny Hart, Valerie Mosley and Madeline Novey of the Fort Collins Coloradoan with Mental Health in Northern Colorado

Third Place: Erin McIntyre and Gabrielle Porter of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel with Failure to protect

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Amber Baillie of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Mind the Gap

Second Place: Sal Chris of Evergreen Newspapers with Proposed development near Dinosaur Ridge opposed 

Education: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Morgan Jacobsen of the Deseret News with Utah’s teacher problem

Second Place: Benjamin Wood of the Salt Lake Tribune with Utah’s full-time teachers seek extra work to make ends meet 

Third Place: Benjamin Wood of the Salt Lake Tribune with Treatment center’s bid to become a public charter school plagued by abuse accusations

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Claire Woodcock of the Boulder Weekly with PCBs in Colorado public schools 

Second Place: Nicholas Garcia of Chalkbeat with Why Aurora Public Schools wants to kick this online charter school out 

Third Place: Spencer Campbell of 5280 with The State of Education in Colorado

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Sarah Kyle of the Fort Collins Coloradoan with PSD exaggerates needs

Second Place: Braley Dodson of the Provo Daily Herald with LGBTQ students at BYU

Third Place: Sara Knuth of the Canon City Daily Record with District discusses closing down school

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Bryan Grossman of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with School districts brace for worst 

Second Place: Amber Baillie of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with AFA to award new cybersecurity degree 

Third Place: Deb Hurley Brobst of Evergreen Newspapers with A heartfelt proposal

Education: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Alex Stuckey, Benjamin Wood and Rachel Piper of the Salt Lake Tribune with Exploring sexual assault and Title IX at Utah college campuses

Second Place: Benjamin Wood of the Salt Lake Tribune with Utah charter schools move millions of public dollars to the coffers of a few private companies  

Third Place: Lois M. Collins of the Deseret News with The skills needed to thrive as an independent adult 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Leah Todd, Kate Schimel, Lyndsey Gilpin, Megan Kamerick, Sarah  Gustavus, Lucia Duncan, Andrew Martinez, Cody Hooks and Ben Goldfarb of Solutions Journalism Network with Big steps for small schools

Second Place: Matt Cortina of the Boulder Weekly with The politics of ESSA

Third Place: Melanie Asmar of Chalkbeat Colorado with For a longtime Denver charter school, one more chance at rebirth 

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Caitlin Hendee of the Denver Business Journal with Is the Swiss system a workforce solution?

Second Place: Sara Knuth of the Canon City Daily Record with Teacher shortage in rural Colorado 

Third Place: Sarah Kuta of the Boulder Daily Camera with ‘Red Zone’: Students’ first few weeks at CU pose higher risk of sex assault

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Ann Butler of the Durango Herald with School buses: how safe are they?

Second Place: Bryan Grossman of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Students, universities struggle to define IP rights

Third Place: Shane Benjamin of the Durango Herald with Culture of absenteeism

Politics: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Robert Gehrke of the Salt Lake Tribune with Guv: Available Jones to donors

Second Place: Lisa Riley Roche of the Deseret News with Who is Gary Johnson?

Third Place: Jon Murray of the Denver Post with Denver councilman, homeowner face off over historic preservation

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: J. Adrian Stanley of the Colorado Springs Independent with Shari Zabel

Second Place: Peter Roper, Anthony Mestas, Gayle Perez, Jon Pompia and Ryan Severance of the Pueblo Chieftain with Marijuana in Pueblo: Yes or no

Third Place: Joel Dyer of the Boulder Weekly with Back to the Future

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Ed Sealover of the Denver Business Journal with Election 2016: Colorado business groups avoiding top ticket races

Second Place: Katie England of the Provo Daily Herald with Medical marijuana series

Third Place: Laura Paskus of the New Mexico Political Report with Trump appointments, policies will have long-term impacts on NM

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Sonja Horoshko of the Four Corners Free Press with San Juan County, Utah, told to redraw districts; Are mail-in ballots unfair to Navajo voters?

Second Place: Jen Sieve-Hicks of the Buffalo Bulletin with Lobbying for change

Third Place: Amy Gillentine Sweet of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with CVB regroups after legislative loss

Politics: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Katie McKellar of the Deseret News with Is the Salt Lake County recorder really running his office?

Second Place: Lee Davidson of the Salt Lake Tribune with UTA secret meetings

Third Place: Matthew Piper, Mike Gorrell and Robert Gehrke of the Salt Lake Tribune with Facebook incentive

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Pam Zubeck of the Colorado Springs Independent with Shooting star – Darryl Glenn

Second Place: Nicholas Garcia of Chalkbeat Colorado with State board met illegally with Commissioner 

Third Place: Joel Dyer of the Boulder Weekly with The new harvest of rage

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Ed Sealover and Kathleen Lavine of the Denver Business Journal with Houses divided: What’s at stake in statehouse races

Second Place: Corey Hutchins of the Colorado Independent with Colorado is in Americans for Prosperity’s ‘persuasion universe‘

Third Place: Nick Coltrain of the Fort Collins Coloradoan with Where fed-up millennials are thinking of putting their votes

Business: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Alicia Wallace of the Denver Post with Scott’s Miracle Gro sneaks into the cannabis industry

Second Place: Courtney Tanner of the Salt Lake Tribune with Homeless crisis chasing away businesses

Third Place: Lauren Villagran of the Albuquerque Journal with Water Worries Making Waves

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Chloe Aiello, Megan Arellano, Kevin J. Beaty, Dave Burdick, Ashley Dean, Adrian D.  Garcia, Christian Clark, Erica Meltzer, Stephanie Snyder and Andrew Kenney of Denverite with 16th Street Mall summer coverage

Second Place: Pam Zubeck of the Colorado Springs Independent with The real deal – St. Francis Hospital

Third Place: Chris Outcalt of 5280 with What Does It Take to Open a Craft Brewery in Denver? 

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Neil Westergaard of the Denver Business Journal with Going all in on Gaylord Rockies

Second Place: Mitchell Byars of the Boulder Daily Camera with Mobile home liens

Third Place: Ed Sealover and Kathleen Lavine of the Denver Business Journal with What ails Colorado brewing?

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place:Doug Storum and Joel Blocker of BizWest with Unwilling Drilling

Second Place: Helen Robinson of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with The Burrowing Owl finds happy spot 

Third Place: Kasey Rahn of the Buffalo Bulletin with Sawdust in my blood

Business: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Alan Prendergast of Westword with Bloodsucking Freaks

Second Place: Daphne Chen of the Desert News with Health inspection delays put the bite on food trucks and carts

Third Place: Alicia Wallace, Emilie Rusch, Aldo Svaldi, Jason Blevins and Tracy M. Cook of the Denver Post with Sports Authority bankruptcy

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Pam Zubeck of the Colorado Springs Independent with Philip Anschutz’s influence knows no bounds

Second Place: Samantha Wright of Shelter Magazine with A Grand Re-Awakening The Second Coming of Silverton’s Historic Hotel

Third Place: Christi Turner of the Boulder Weekly with A compelling reason to ride

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Monica Mendoza, Cathy Proctor, Ed Sealover, Molly Armbrister, Greg Avery, Caitlin Hendee, Boots Gifford, Jim Carr, Connie Elsbury and Justin Guerriero of the Denver Business Journal with Business of Aging

Second Place: Shay Castle of the Boulder Daily Camera with TRU Community Care package

Third Place: Monica Mendoza and Molly Armbrister of the Denver Business Journal with Sports Authority: What went wrong?

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Bryan Grossman of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with A second chance: Re-entry programs put many previously incarcerated to work

Second Place: Helen Robinson of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Finance industry puts money on talent

Third Place: David Long and Gail Binkly of the Four Corners Free Press with Courthouse project sparks hiring discussion

Legal: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Pamela Manson of the Salt Lake Tribune with Freed early from prison, a ‘changed’ Weldon Angelos is rebuilding his life one brick at a time 

Second Place: Christopher N. Osher of the Denver Post with Habitual drunken drivers’ sentences vary wildly under Colorado’s new felony DUI law 

Third Place: Chris Walker of Westword with Ready for Action

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Steve Knopper and Erik Lundegaard of Super Lawyers with The Bridge

Second Place: Jim Walsh and Erik Lundegaard of Super Lawyers with Bring Me Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Electrical Engineers

Third Place: Mark Shenefelt and Loretta Park of the Standard-Examiner with Tanis Ukena and the anatomy of an investigation

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Sarah Kuta of the Boulder Daily Camera with Parallels seen in transgender fight 20 years later

Second Place: Tony Flesor of Law Week Colorado with Colorado’s Judicial Emergency

Third Place: Mitchell Byars of the Boulder Daily Camera with Ian Scheuermann murder case

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Jennifer Burden of the Buffalo Bulletin with New court decisions unearth ’83 murder case

Legal: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Alan Prendergast of Westword with House of Lies

Second Place: Christopher N. Osher of the Denver Post with Abuse complaints at Pueblo center for disabled

Third Place: Jessica Miller, Erin Alberty, Nate Carlisle and Matthew  Piper of the Salt Lake Tribune with Coverage of BYU police: A private force with full state powers

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Pam Zubeck of the Colorado Springs Independent with Betrayal of trust

Second Place: Sarah Haas of the Boulder Weekly with Crossing the threshold

Third Place: Angela K. Evans of the Boulder Weekly with Time to revisit Boulder’s controversial camping ban

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Susan Greene of the Colorado Independent with Exonerated: Clarence Moses-EL’s 29-year fight to clear his name

Second Place: Steven Hsieh of the Santa Fe Reporter with Marijuana Decrim Analysis

Third Place: Hannah Skewes of Law Week Colorado with Juvenile Justice series

Science: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Daphne Chen of the Deseret News with Genetic sleuths solve a medical mystery in breakthrough study 

Second Place: John Frank of the Denver Post with The science behind why you like (or hate) certain beers 

Third Place: Daphne Chen of the Deseret News with Utah mom, doctors push to add rare disorder to national newborn screening panel 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Max Heidt of the Boulder Weekly with Gimme the cold shoulder

Second Place: Willow Belden of Out There with From the Horns of Beetles 

Third Place: Angela K. Evans of the Boulder Weekly with Our last moment to act

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Greg Avery of the Denver Business Journal with Satellite internet blasts off

Science: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Eric Schulzke of the Deseret News with the Restoring the brain: An emerging science looks at how our mind rejuvenates itself

Second Place: Kelsey Dallas of the Deseret News with Finding God in one of science’s biggest debates genetic editing

Third Place: Rick Nathanson of the Albuquerque Journal with UNMHSC lab assistants notebook details use, condition of fetal tissue

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Travis Metcalfe of the Boulder Weekly with Lab Note series

Second Place: Amanda Moutinho of the Boulder Weekly with The science of justice

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999 

First Place: Greg Avery of the Denver Business Journal with Factories in space

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Amy Gillentine Sweet of the Colorado Business Journal with Space traffic: Springs’ next frontier 

Health: General Reporting:

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Alex Stuckey of the Salt Lake Tribune with For the homeless and others who lived a complicated life, Utah’s Inn Between offers a comfortable place to die

Second Place: Daphne Chen of the Deseret News with Waiting on ‘young invincibles’ 

Third Place: Lois M. Collins of the Deseret News with National program helps soldiers learn to cope with PTSD 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Leah Todd of the Solutions Journalism Network with Room to Recover

Second Place: Chloe Aiello of Denverite with No one is really sure what pot does to a developing fetus 

Third Place: Lindsey Koehler of 5280 with The Dark Side of Fitness

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999 

First Place: Steven Hsieh of the Santa Fe Reporter with Network Disruption

Second Place: Aimee Heckel of the Boulder Daily Camera with On top of the world

Third Place: Shelby Slade of the Provo Daily Herald with Alzheimer’s, dementia caregivers face a daily struggle to support loved ones  

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Sonja Horoshko of the Four Corners Free Press with Dealing with the dark side

Second Place: Bryan Grossman of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Trust aims for health equity in El Paso County 

Third Place: Jennifer Burden of the Buffalo Bulletin with WinHealth to exit and Options limited

Health: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Alan Prendergast of Westword with Hep C: The Deadliest Killer in Colorado’s Prisons Is a Curable Virus 

Second Place: Alicia Wallace of the Denver Post with Cannabis and PTSD

Third Place: Daphne Chen of the Deseret News with Are Utah schools violating diabetic students’ rights? 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Paige Blankenbuehler, J.R.  Logan, John Kalef, Megan Kamerick, Sarah Gustavus, Leah Todd, Ben Goldfarb and Matt Hildner of the Solutions Journalism Network with Beating Addiction

Second Place: Angela K. Evans of the Boulder Weekly with What went wrong with Colorado health co-op 

Third Place: Nat Stein of the Colorado Springs Independent with Inside vets’ fight for medical cannabis amid Reefer Madness politics 

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Ed Sealover, Greg Avery, Monica Mendoza, Molly Armbrister, Cathy Proctor, Caitlin Hendee, Kathleen Lavine, Mark Harden, Jim Carr, Neil Westergaard and Caroline  Schomp of the Denver Business Journal with Anschutz: City of Health

Second Place: The Staff of the Provo Daily Herald with The Autism Puzzle

Third Place: Ed Sealover of the Denver Business Journal with Wagering on health care

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Bryan Grossman of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Region battles issues of access, education

Second Place: Bryan Grossman of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Colorado nursing shortage looms

Environment: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Brian Maffly and Matthew Piper of the Salt Lake Tribune with Comb Ridge and Lyman Family Farms

Second Place: Emma Penrod of the Salt Lake Tribune with Salt flats inspire those who test confines of nature

Third Place: Maggie Shepard of the Albuquerque Journal with Neighborhood still waiting for city water 16 years later

Print: Circulation of between 10,000 – 29,999

First Place: Cathy Proctor and Connie Elsbury of the Denver Business Journal with Electrifying the oil patch

Second Place: Elizabeth Miller of the Santa Fe Reporter with Groundswell

Third Place: Laura Paskus of New Mexico with In Depth with Gila: An unpredictable river, even in the best of times 

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Jonathan Romeo of the Durango Herald with Enviro group says collusion apparent 

Environment: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Emma Penrod of the Salt Lake Tribune with Waste Water?: July’s massive bloom of toxic algae was a wake-up call for Utah waterways

Second Place: Jon Murray of the Denver Post with Hanging Lake is being loved to death

Third Place: Amy Joi O’Donoghue of the Deseret News with Special Report: Utah’s ‘Mighty Five’

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: J.R. Logan, Paige Blankenbuehler, Ben Goldfarb, Leah Todd and Matt Hildner of Solutions Journalism Network with Life Begins With Land

Second Place: Matt Cortina of the Boulder Weekly with Colorado’s role in California’s Porter Ranch disaster

Third Place: Angela K. Evans of the Boulder Weekly with Paying the price

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Joey Peters of the New Mexico Political Report with City gave ranch million-dollar water discount, documents show

Second Place: Kelsey Ray of the Colorado Independent with The Invisible Plume: Why coal mine methane is worth looking at

Third Place: Jacy Marmaduke of the Fort Collins Coloradoan with Poudre River: From garbage dump to our lifeblood

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Samantha Wright of the San Juan Independent with A Winter of Discontent Behind-the-Scenes Battles at the Ouray Ice Park 

Second Place: Sal Christ of Evergreen Newspapers with High lead levels found in drinking water at more than 100 Jeffco schools

Third Place: Sal Christ of Evergreen Newspapers with Toxic waste found buried at Lockheed Martin facility 

Agricultural: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Brian Maffly of the Salt Lake Tribune with We are not all Cliven Bundys: Rich County ranchers partner with BLM to revolutionize grazing 

Second Place: Amy Joi O’Donoghue of the Deseret News with Housing pressure puts the squeeze on Utah County’s rich farmland

Third Place: Marjorie Cortez of the Deseret News with Refugee goat project growing by leaps and bounds

Agricultural: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Monica Mendoza of the Denver Business Journal with Ag on Edge

A&E: Single Story

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Josie Klemaier of the Denver Post with The bronze sculptures you pass every day might not be “real”

Second Place: Ellen Fagg Weist of the Salt Lake Tribune with Sonita’s song

Third Place: John Wenzel of the Denver Post with Protests give way to progress in comic-con world, larger pop culture

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Amanda Moutinho of the Boulder Weekly with Erasing creation

Second Place: Andrew Kenney of Denverite with Fifteen teenage girls and I went to the mall to meet Diegosaurs, the greatest streaming star Colorado Springs has ever produced 

Third Place: J. Adrian Stanley of the Colorado Springs Independent with Death, through a youthful lens

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Court Mann of the Provo Daily Herald with Weezer’s two all-time biggest fans are buried in Utah County – here’s their unique story 

Second Place: Alex De Vore of the Santa Fe Reporter with Giants of Folklorico 

Third Place: John Bear of the Boulder Daily Camera with Dead revive Folsom

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Diane Joy Schmidt of The New Mexico Jewish Link with Evelyn Rosenberg and Her Explosive Art 

Second Place: Cameron Moix of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Westside story: Netflix film brings stars, cash to Colorado Springs 

Third Place: Sonja Horoshko of the Four Corners Free Press with Singular focus

A&E: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Ellen Fagg Weist of the Salt Lake Tribune with Utah opens three new arts buildings

Second Place: Chris Walker of Westword with Shine On

Third Place: Rachel Piper of the Salt Lake Tribune with Rick Walton inspired a literary wellspring in Utah 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Ashley Dean, Erica Meltzer and Megan Arellano of Denverite with Denver arts spaces face sudden changes

Second Place: Amanda Moutinho of the Boulder Weekly with ‘We’re all freaks, together’ 

Third Place: Griffin Swartzell of the Colorado Springs Independent with A pathless land

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Matt Sebastian of the Boulder Daily Camera with SMiLE Boulder: Profile rising for painter who leaves mark on city under cover of darkness 

Second Place: Elizabeth Miller of the Santa Fe Reporter with She Flew Solo

Third Place: Court Mann of the Provo Daily Herald with How do you harness creativity?

A&E: Criticism

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: John Wenzel of the Denver Post with John Wenzel criticism

Second Place: Josh Terry of the Deseret News with Josh Terry’s movie reviews

Third Place: Christine Rappleye of the Deseret News with Christine Rappleye’s book reviews

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Dave Kirby of the Boulder Weekly with Music criticism

Second Place: Amanda Moutinho of the Boulder Weekly with Theater criticism

Third Place: Griffin Swartzell of the Colorado Springs Independent with Appetite

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Derrick Clements of the Provo Daily Herald with Movie reviews

Second Place: Alex De Vore of the Santa Fe Reporter with DIY or Die; Dear Rob; Chamber Made

Third Place: Court Mann of the Provo Daily Herald with Reviews

Sports: General Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Doug Robinson of the Desert News with Former BYU running back Luke Staley paying a Painful Price for Gridiron Glory

Second Place: Bob Christ of the Albuquerque Journal with A thoroughly Modern Man

Third Place: Mark Smith of the Albuquerque Journal with WAY down in the Valley

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Luke Lyons of the Pueblo Chieftain with Second chance of a lifetime

Second Place: Christi Turner of the Boulder Weekly with Outliving it

Third Place: Christian Clark of Denverite with Former Colorado football star Rashaan Salaam was somebody you wanted to be around

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Monica Mendoza, Caitlin Hendee, Mark Harden, Kathleen Lavine, Boots Gifford, Jim Carr, Huntley Paton and Staff of the Denver Business Journal with Road to Super Bowl 20

Second Place: Jared Lloyd, Darnell Dickson and Phillip Morgan of the Provo Daily Herald with Legendary LaVell

Third Place: Pat Rooney of the Boulder Daily Camera with Tredes road to recovery continues

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Joe Moylan of Evergreen Newspapers with Local pro attends PGA Championship after network shanks fact in story

Sports: Enterprise Reporting

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Kyle Newman of the Denver Post with The state of high school sports in Colorado

Second Place: Kyle Newman of the Denver Post with Justice High School football

Third Place: Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post with Game of Pain

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Amanda Moutinho of the Boulder Weekly with Two-wheeled revolution

Second Place: Betsy Welch of the Boulder Weekly with Still on the trail

Third Place: Caitlin Rockett of the Boulder Weekly with Born again runner

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Doug Chartier of Law Week Colorado with Alone at the End of the Earth

Second Place: Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera with Black athletes at CU: Degrees of Change

Third Place: Brad Cochi of the Boulder Daily Camera with Historic run: Lyons Roberts set to wrap one of states greatest prep careers

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: John Livingston of the Durango Herald with Howard Grotts Olympian stories

Sports: Columns

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Doug Robinson of the Deseret News with BYU-Utah Cancellation About More than a Punch // A Bad Idea that Won’t Go Away // NBC Dumbs Down the Olympics — for Women

Second Place: Ed Johnson of the Albuquerque Journal with Sports columns by Ast. Sports Editor

Third Place: Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune with Trump, BYU and Edwards: Collection of entries from Gordon Monson

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Tom Winter of the Boulder Weekly with Ski columns

Second Place: Emma Murray of the Boulder Weekly with Climbing columns

Third Place: Joe Cervi of the Pueblo Chieftain with Coaches, QBs, fans, lend me your ears/jump; Saluting coaches on day for dads/ jump; Unsung hero/jump

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Matthew Stephens of the Fort Collins Coloradoan with Columnist Matt Stephens

Second Place: Jared Lloyd of the Provo Daily Herald with The Front Row

Third Place: Pat Rooney of the Boulder Daily Camera with Remembering Salaam: Tragedy a stark reminder of life’s travails

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Ben Ramsey of the Buffalo Bulletin with Sports column

Breaking News Story

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Nicole Perez ,Robert Browman and Elise Kaplan of the Albuquerque Journal with Grief And Shock Rip Navajo Nation 

Second Place: Brian Maffly, Thomas Burr, Rachel Piper, Emma Penrod, Benjamin Wood, Tony Semarad and Dan Harrie of the Salt Lake Tribune with Obama declares Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah 

Third Place: Jesse Paul of the Denver Post with With 5 homes destroyed, crews report good day battling Cold Springs fire 

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Ann Elise Taylor, Anna Burleson, Benjamin Zack and Mitch Shaw of the Standard-Examiner with Tornado touches down in Washington Terrace, Utah

Second Place: Caitlin Rockett and Amanda Moutinho of the Boulder Weekly with Fire blazes through Nederland, neighbors open doors

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Mitchell Byars and Karen Antonacci of the Boulder Daily Camera with Cold Springs Fire

Second Place: Ed Sealover, Greg Avery, Molly Armbrister, Kathleen Lavine, Monica Mendoza, Cathy Proctor, Mark Harden, Caitlin Hendee and Neil Westergaard of the Denver Business Journal with Election Night 2016

Third Place: Erin McIntyre and Gabrielle Porter of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel with Three shot in Molina attack

Editorials

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: John Frank of the Denver Post with Five ways to improve government transparency in Colorado

Second Place: Hal Boyd of the Deseret News with Hal Boyd Editorials

Third Place: Megan Schrader and Chuck Plunkett of the Denver Post with Denver Post editorials

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Dan Vukelich and Will Ferguson of the ABQ Free Press with Dan Vukelich Editorial

Second Place: Greg Halling of the Standard-Examiner with Best Editorials 2016

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Scott Tittrington of the Provo Daily Herald with Herald Editorials

Second Place: Neil Westergaard of the Denver Business Journal with DBJ Editorial

Third Place: Dave Krieger of the Boulder Daily Camera with Daily Camera Editorials

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Randy Essex of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent with Randy Essex editorials

Second Place: Jared Whitley of Utah Policy with Whitleypedia – Political truth-puncher

Third Place: Amy Gillentine Sweet of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Colorado Springs Business Journal

News Column

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: George Pyle of the Salt Lake Tribune with George Pyle

Second Place: Jay Evensen of the Deseret News with Jay Evensen’s columns

Third Place: Lois M. Collins of the Deseret News with Lois Collins columns

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Joel Dyer of the Boulder Weekly with DyerTimes

Second Place: Ralph Routon of the Colorado Springs Independent with Between the Lines

Third Place: Dennis Domrzalski of the ABQ Free Press with Dennis Domrzalski Columns

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Heath Haussamen of NMPolitics.net with Heath Haussamens news columns

Second Place: Susan Greene of the Colorado Independent with The sad death of the happiest man in Denver 

Third Place: Tina Griego of the Colorado Independent with Gone to Market: Returning to a city being remade and undone by gentrification 

Column: Personal/Humor

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Sean P. Means of the Salt Lake Tribune with Sean P. Means columns

Second Place: Joline Gutierrez Krueger of the Albuquerque Journal with UpFront Joline Gutierrez Krueger

Third Place: Robert Kirby of the Salt Lake Tribune with Gay wedding; Forgetting; Devil’s Disney Cruise

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999 

First Place: Court Mann of the Provo Daily Herald with The Skinny

Second Place: Diane Joy Schmidt of the Gallup Independent with The first shall be last; There once was a woman who was apologetic; Beneath the surface

Third Place: Aimee Heckel of the Boulder Daily Camera with Aimee Heckel personal column

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Zach Hively of the Four Corners Free Press with Don’t try this at home; Om mani pedal huh?, Smartphoney

Second Place: Jen Sieve-Hicks of the Buffalo Bulletin with “Mama and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” “Turns out I’m not smarter than an 8th grader,” and “In wake of excruciating tragedy, a mother’s grief teaches us all”

Third Place: Ben Ramsey of the Buffalo Bulletin with Column personal/humor

Front Page Design

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000 

First Place: Anthony Camera of Westword with Idea Man

Second Place: Todd Adams and Michael Nakoryakov of the Salt Lake Tribune with Trump nation

Third Place: Leah Derrington of the Albuquerque Journal with Front page

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Eli Akerstein, Jennifer Ho and Erika Liberato of Yellow Scene Magazine with November Joy Cover

Second Place: Dustin Glatz of the Colorado Springs Independent with Colorado Springs Independent

Third Place: Erika Liberato of Yellow Scene Magazine with October Halloween Election Cover

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Joseph Horton of Law Week Colorado with Construction Law

Second Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with Ag on Edge Page A1

Third Place: Joseph Horton of Law Week Colorado with I WIll. Taking it on Pro Bono

Print: Circulation less than 10,000

First Place: Rachel Baca of Albuquerque Business First wtih Warning: This issue is full of hot air

Second Place: Melissa Edwards of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Colorado Springs Business Journal

Third Place: Robert L. Ortiz of The Southern Ute Drum with Bear Dance Edition

Feature Page Design

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Jeff Neumann of the Denver Post with Seeing the world more naturally

Second Place: Anthony Camera of Westword with Getting Schooled

Third Place: Heather Tuttle of the Deseret News with Classroom Connections

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Dustin Glatz of the Colorado Springs Independent with The Things They Carry

Second Place:  Dustin Glatz of the Colorado Springs Independent with Probe

Third Place: Shira Kaminsky, MT Elliot and Erika Liberat of Yellow Scene Magazine with August E-Nostalgia Feature

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with Life at Anschutz

Second Place: Joseph Horton of Law Week Colorado with A Faint Light

Third Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with Crane Watch

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Leilani Derr, Erica Grossman and Stacie Ledden of SPARK with Building agricultural STEAM

Second Place: Melissa Edwards of the Colorado Springs Business Journal with Colorado Springs Business Journal

Third Place: Robert L. Ortiz of The Southern Ute Drum with Bear Dance

Single Page Design

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Susan France of the Boulder Weekly with Tourists in Aisle Three

Second Place: Dustin Glatz of the Colorado Springs Independent with The Home Gallery

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Nicole Lebsack of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Instagram: 5 must-follow Wyo. accounts

Second Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with Anschutz – City of Health cover page

Third Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with Book of Lists cover page

Info Graphic

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Severiano Galvan of the Denver Post with Muhammad Ali

Second Place: Todd Adams, Francisco Kjolseth of the Salt Lake Tribune with Eccles Theater takes center stage 

Third Place: Michelle Doe of the Denver Post with The new No. 9

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Dustin Glatz of the Colorado Springs Independent with ReLeaf – By the Numbers

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with RTD Train Controls

Second Place: Anson Stevens-Bollen of the Santa Fe Reporter with Something’s Gotta Give

Third Place: Jim Carr of the Denver Business Journal with Wealthiest Zip Codes

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Rachel Baca and Juliana Vadnais of Albuquerque Business First with School grades vs. home prices

Second Place: Melissa Edwards of Colorado Springs Business Journal with Market Snapshot

Third Place: Leilani Derr, Erica Grossman and Stacie Ledden of SPARK with What will your adventure be?

Special Section

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: Matt Swaney, Lori Punko, Jeff Neumann, Maureen Burnett and T.J. Hutchinson of the Denver Post with Super Bowl commemorative section

Second Place: Peggy Fletcher Stack, Alex Stuckey, Ann Cannon, Mariah Noble, Gordon Monson, Robert Kirby and Kathy Stephenson of the Salt Lake Tribune with LDS General Conference War: When the Faithful Don’t Agree

Third Place: Heidi Perry, Visual/edit Team and Sports Team of the Deseret News with Life of a Legend

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Joel Dyer, Angela K. Evans, Caitlin Rockett, Amanda Moutinho and Matt Cortina of the Boulder Weekly with Celebrating 22 by celebrating you

Second Place: Katherine Weadley and Kate Homme of Yellow Scene Magazine with March Super Kids!

Third Place: Joel Dyer, Angela K. Evans, Caitlin Rockett, Amanda Moutinho and Matt Cortina of the Boulder Weekly with Conference on World Affairs coverage

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Rachel Sams, Damon Scott, Rachel Baca, Sal Christ, Mike English, Stephanie Guzman-Barrera, Blake Driver, Juliana Vadnais and Brandon Call of Albuquerque Business First with Albuquerque’s Next Big Thing

Second Place: Robert L. Ortiz and Trennie Collins of The Southern Ute Drum with 96th Annual Southern Ute Fair

Headline Writing

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: William Baker of the Albuquerque Journal with Headlines

Second Place: Dale Ulland of the Denver Post with “Year of the GOPinocchio” (Feb. 21, 2016, page 13A); “For butter or worse” (May 19, 2016, pages 9A and 10A); and “Lions and ire and bears” (Dec. 14, 2016, pages 1A and 8A).

Third Place: Dale Ulland of the Denver Post with “Sponge blob, rare glance: Scientists soak up big find” (May 29, 2016, page 15A); “Tank’s for the melodies” (June 25, 2016, pages 1A and 4A); “Cubboom” (Nov. 3, 2016, pages 1B and 3B)

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000

First Place: Mike Bialas of the Pueblo Chieftain with Clinton embraces herstory; Faith, hope and clarity; On the eve of disruption

Second Place: Jim Carson of Bam, slam, thank you, ma’am; Few solve Cyclones’ Maize; A little Dabo does it for West

Third Place: Osweilercized; Sunny’s days shine again; Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Doug Fox of the Provo Daily Herald with Season’s Bleatings

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: David Buck of the Durango Herald with David Buck headlines

Second Place: Mark Borgard of the Durango Herald with Mark Borgard headlines

Third Place: Gail Binkly, Rhonda Binkly and David Grant Long Long of the Four Corners Free Press with Don’t count your chickens yet; Bad blood; Cat fight

Multimedia Story

First Place: Jeff  Proctor, Andrew Becker, Sandra Fish, Trip Jennings, Jennifer LaFleur and Marjorie Childress of Reveal and New Mexico In Depth with Bail on NM ballot: Should money determine freedom?

Second Place: Mark Saal and Briana Scroggins of the Standard-Examiner with Utah’s first openly transgender teacher, partner tell story of love, transition

Third Place: Leia Larsen and Benjamin Zack of the Standard-Examiner with Utah’s Fruit Way: Famous farming district giving way to development

Online: General Website Excellence

First Place: Trip Jennings, Marjorie Childress, Sandra Fish, Jeff  Proctor and Laura Paskus of New Mexico In Depth Inc. for New Mexico In Depth

Second Place: Heath Haussamen of NMpolitics.net with NMPolitics.nets website 

Online: Blog

First Place: Jeffrey Roberts of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition with Freedom of Information Stories 

Second Place: Jared Whitley of Utah Policy with Whitleypedia – blog

Radio: General Broadcast Excellence

First Place: KUNC News Staff of KUNC with Loved to Death

Second Place: Elaine Baumgartel, Marisa Demarco, Anna Lande, Kaveh Mowahed and Jefferson White of KUNM Public Radio with KUNM Call In Show: Unpacking Trump’s Visit To N.M. 

Third Place: Willow Belden, Jordan Wirfs-Brock and Erin Jones of Out There with Out There

Radio: News Reporting

First Place: Luke Runyon of KUNC with With Hick’s Signature, Colorado’s Rain Barrel Banditry Will Come To An End 

Second Place: Marisa Demarco of KUNM Public Radio with ‘Get On The Ground!’ Boyd’s Last Moments Revisited In Trial 

Third Place: Ed Williams of KUNM Public Radio with LANLs Long Environmental Cleanup 

Radio: Enterprise Reporting

First Place: Ed Williams of KUNM Public Radio with Series: Danger Zone – Living In The Shadow Of Industry

Second Place: John Daley and Katherine Smith of Colorado Public Radio with Health and Climate Change Series

Third Place: Ann Marie Awad of KUNC with Colorado Veterans Hold Their Breath For The Right To Use Medical Marijuana

Radio: Feature Reporting

First Place: Marisa Demarco of KUNM Public Radio with Fetal Tissue Researchers Improve Preemie Care 

Second Place: Stacy Nick of KUNC with The Secret For The Best Sounding Native American Jingle Dress? Try Copenhagen Lids

Third Place: Ed Williams of KUNM Public Radio with Valle De Oro: An Experiment In Environmental Justice 

Television: General Broadcast Excellence

First Place: Jason Carter, Amy Gill and Brandon Applehans of Twelve Legs Marketing with RMAC Showcase: “South Dakota Mines Takeover”

Second Place: Megan Kamerick, Michael Kamins, Kevin McDonald, Kathy Wimmer, Aaron Sena and Antony Lostetter of KNME with Children, Trauma and Resiliency

Third Place: Jason Carter and Brandon Applehans of Twelve Legs Marketing with RMAC Showcase: “Adams State Takeover”

Television: News Reporting

First Place: Jason Carter of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with South Dakota Mines Programming

Second Place: Brandon Thompson of KREX TV with Breach of Collbran Landslide Remnants

Television: Feature Reporting

First Place: Kevin J. Beaty of Denverite1 with Denver Pridefest emcee DeMarcio Slaughter speaks to community in wake of Miami shootings

Spot News Photography

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Benjamin Zack of the Standard-Examiner with Tornado aftermath

Second Place: Bryan Kelsen of the Pueblo Chieftain with Beulah Fire Slurry

Third Place: Bryan Kelsen of the Pueblo Chieftain with Fire Dog

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999 

First Place: Sammy Jo Hester of the Provo Daily Herald with Stabbing at Mountain View

Second Place: Isaac Hale of the Provo Daily Herald with Trench collapse in American Fork

Third Place: Steven Hsieh of the Santa Fe Reporter with Central Avenue After Trump

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Chancey Bush of Evergreen Newspapers with Blaze destroys artist’s cabin west of Springs

Second Place: Matthew Jonas of the Longmont Times-Call with Cats Rescued From House Fire

Third Place: Matthew Jonas of the Longmont Times-Call with Guns and Meth

News Photography

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: John Jaques of the Pueblo Chieftain with Trinidad Train Tragedy

Second Place: Joel Dyer of the Boulder Weekly with Dispatches from Standing Rock

Third Place: Chris McLean of the Pueblo Chieftain with Fireworks light sky

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Blaine McCartney of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Hailstorm Strikes Pine Bluffs

Second Place: Dominic Valente of the Provo Daily Herald with A moment of reflection

Third Place: Blaine McCartney of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Hailstorm Strikes Pine Bluffs

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Tony White of MetroWest Newspapers with Diverse crowd attends Clinton campaign stop

Second Place: Matthew Jonas of the Longmont Times-Call with Hot Air Balloon Fest

Third Place: Chancey Bush of Evergreen Newspapers with First responders practice extractions at scene of mock accident

Feature Photography

Print: Circulation of more than 75,000

First Place: RJ Sangosti of the Denver Post

Second Place: AAron Ontiveroz of the Denver Post with Game of Pain

Third Place: Ravell Call of the Deseret News with Salute to Veterans

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Benjamin Rasmussen of 5280 with Living Off the Land

Second Place: Susan France of the Boulder Weekly with Ain’t too hard for me to jam

Third Place: Bryan Kelsen of the Pueblo Chieftain with Baby Walk

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Mark Silverstein of the Greater Park Hill News with Birdland

Second Place: Isaac Hale of the Provo Daily Herald with A Treu connection

Third Place: Blaine McCartney of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Stunning Sunset

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Tony White of MetroWest Newspapers with Vietnam War tribute draws veterans to Dacono

Second Place: Chancey Bush of Evergreen Newspapers with Stair Climb honors fallen from 9/11

Third Place: Matthew Jonas of the Longmont Times-Call with Snow!

Sports Photography

Print: Circulation of 30,000 to 75,000 

First Place: Matt Herp of the Standard-Examiner with Hold On Tight

Second Place: John Jacques of the Pueblo Chieftain with CSUP score 2016

Third Place: Bryan Kelsen of the Pueblo Chieftain with CSU v. Morningside Dive

Print: Circulation of 10,000 to 29,999

First Place: Dominic Valente of the Provo Daily Herald with Something to shout about

Second Place: Blaine McCartney of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Struxness For The Win

Third Place: Blaine McCartney of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with Upset Central

Print: Circulation of less than 10,000

First Place: Matthew Jonas of the Longmont Times-Call with Goal Celebration

Second Place: Chancey Bush of Evergreen Newspapers with Gauvain a lean machine in the pool

Third Place: Trennie Collins of The Southern Ute Drum with Grease Pole Climb