Members of The Clarion staff received a total of 20 awards at recent regional and state college media conventions.

The Clarion received nine awards, including a first place in Best of Show for two-year college newspapers, at the Associated Collegiate Press Best of the Midwest Convention on Feb. 17-19.

The newspaper earned a fourth-place award in the newspaper special edition category for its Nov. 2 election issue and a seventh-place award for publication websites.

In addition, The Clarion staff received six individual awards:

• First place, editorial/commentary – Sedgwick Smith Jr.
• Third place, multimedia package – Ethan Maurice and Jessica Pokrandt.
• Fourth place, sports reporting – Ethan Maurice.
• Fifth place, multimedia package – Josh Zytkiewicz, Alexandra Christensen and Sedgwick Smith Jr.
• Fifth place, editorial/commentary – Sedgwick Smith Jr.
• Fifth place, sports reporting – Bailey Ayres.

More recently, The Clarion staff received 11 awards at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s annual convention held at the Madison West Marriott on Feb. 23-24. The awards were part of the Wisconsin College Media Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.

The Clarion competed in Group B, which included newspapers published weekly or less frequently. The winners were:

• First place, column writing – Mouna Algahaithi.
• First place, editorial – Josh Zytkiewicz.
• First place, sports column – Morgan Engles.
• Second place, general excellence – Clarion staff.
• Second place, general reporting – Mouna Algahaithi.
• Second place, column writing – Elliott Puckette.
• Second place, sports reporting – Stephanie Riedel.
• Second place, best advertisement – Alaa Mahmood.
• Third place, feature writing – Bailey Ayres.
• Third place, web excellence – Stephen Fabal.
• Third place, best advertisement – Kristina Karlen.