The Clarion won first place general excellence in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Collegiate Better Newspaper Contest. It was one of 23 awards The Clarion received at the newspaper association’s annual convention in Madison on March 7. 

Fifteen campus newspapers from across the state participated in the competition. Second and third place in general excellence went to the two UW-Madison student newspapers, The Daily Cardinal and The Badger Hearld. 

Ten staff members of The Clarion won individual awards, including five first-place awards. The individual categories were split into Division A and Division B, with The Clarion competing in Division B. In categories with limited entries, the divisions were combined. 

In the writing categories, The Clarion editor Kelly Feng led the way with seven individual awards. 

Feng took first and second place in the feature story category for Division B, winning for an article about student Flore Nikiema and a profile article on former Madison College President Dr. Jack Daniels. 

In the arts and entertainment story category for Division B, Feng won first place for an article about a Kenyan student who became a TikTok sensation. Staff writer Sarah Hamwy took third place with an article about Olbrich Gardens. 

Feng earned a second and third place award in the breaking news category for Division B, with articles about former President Biden’s visit to Madison College and an update on the status of the college’s presidential search. 

In sports reporting, Feng earned second place in Division B with an article about the WolfPack softball team. Staff writer Paige Shapiro took third place with an article about the dedication of Big Dog Concessions. 

Feng took third place in public affairs reporting for Division B with an article about the new men’s shelter being constructed near campus. In addition, Feng took honorable mention in a combined Division A and B for collegiate journalist of the year. 

The Clarion staff took home two awards in column writing for a combined Division A and B. Sierra Brunner won first place for a personal column about suicide awareness month, while Sara Bernabe won with a column about the impact of misinformation. 

Staff writer Adam Reed won second place in the health coverage category for Division B with a column about helping veterans in crisis. Reed also took second place in the advertising category for a video public service announcement he created. 

The Clarion won two awards in the use of multimedia category for Division B. Feng, Reed and Hunter Radke won first place in Division B for a multimedia package about a first-time voter. Feng and Jack Liska-Verdu took third place for a multimedia package about Dr. Daniels. 

Radke won first place in news photography in Division B for a photo highlighting the new electric buses. Radke and Liska-Verdu also won awards for sports photography in Division B. Radke took second place for a photo from a men’s basketball game, while Liska-Verdu took third place for a men’s soccer photo. 

Graphic designer Kaya Mantz won two awards in page design for a combined Division A and B, taking both second and third place in the competition. Designer Marhysa Welter took an honorable mention in infographic with an illustration about last year’s solar eclipse.