CORPUS CHRISTI — The Monitor took home 12 awards from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors annual convention this weekend, highlighted by a first-place award in the Features Series category and second place for the Celeste Williams Sportswriter of the Year category.
Monitor Sports Editor Greg Luca took second place for the Celeste Williams Sportswriter of the Year award for his entries. They included his story on an Edinburg Economedes soccer player, Krysta Armstrong, who was born with cocaine in her system; who lost two siblings who committed suicide and who had an incarcerated mom and an unknown father yet somehow persevered to overcome those barriers to strive on the soccer field and on her way to a college career.
Other entries included a story about the UTRGV assistant basketball coach, Jai Steadman, who battled back from life-threatening conditions with ruptured intestines; not to mention his story on the delay in the Bert Ogden Arena construction, a profile on the Xavier McDaniel Jr., the son of NBA star and collegiate Hall-of-Famer Xavier McDaniel, and a story on RGV Vipers’ Chinanu Onuaku and his underhand free-throw shooting.
“We are very proud of the talented Monitor journalists and photojournalists,” said Stephan Wingert, publisher and editor for The Monitor. “They do great work on a daily basis, and we appreciate the Texas APME and judges for acknowledging their efforts across multiple categories.”
The Monitor competes in the size 3A category; 4A includes the state’s largest newspapers such as the Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News among others.
Other award winners included:
>> Third Place Photojournalism – Nathan Lambrecht for “Justice for Irene,” a compilation of photos documenting the John Feit murder trial in December;
>> Third Place Photo Gallery – Delcia Lopez for her behind-the-scenes work at a bridal fashion show;
>> Honorable Mention Star Photojournalist of the Year – Nathan Lambrecht for a body of work;
>> Honorable mention Star Online Package of the Year – Daniel A. Flores, Peter Rasmussen, Nathan Lambrecht, Berenice Garcia for their online package of the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Beulah;
>> Honorable Mention Online Live Coverage – Lorenzo Zazueta-Castro, Daniel A. Flores, Nathan Lambrecht, Molly Smith, Michael Rodriguez and Peter Rasmussen for their live coverage online of the John Feit verdict;
>> Honorable Mention Video Shorter Than Two Minutes – Daniel A. Flores for his work on “The adventures of Team Peter Parker – Yoga Under the Oaks;”
>> Honorable Mention for Sports Feature – Saul Berrios-Thomas, who submitted his stories on PSJA North’s Vonzell Griffin and Mission Vets’ Abraham Ibarra;
>> Honorable Mention for Sports Feature – Nathaniel Mata for his story on a 7-year-old cancer survivor who scored an unassisted touchdown in recognition of his battle;
>> and Honorable Mention for Sports Feature – Greg Luca for the aforementioned story on Krysta Armstrong.
For a full list of winners and to see their entries, visit tapmecontest.org/winners/.
