Louisiana Sports Writers Association Awards

2007 LSWA Contest Results

KENNER, La. — Results from the 2007 Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s annual writing and sports information contests (Division I is for newspapers with a circulation of 50,000 and up; Division II is for publications with a circulation of 49,999 and below):

{PRO EVENT}

CLASS I: 1, Mike Triplett, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Les East, Baton Rouge Advocate.

CLASS II: 1, Dan McDonald, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk. 3, Gary Laney, Lake Charles American Press.

{COLLEGE EVENT}

CLASS I: 1, Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett Louisiana. 2, Tammy Nunez, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Jimmy Watson, Shreveport Times.

CLASS II: 1, Gary Laney, Lake Charles American Press. 2, Dan McDonald, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 3, T. Scott Boatright, Monroe News-Star. Honorable Mention, O.K. “Buddy” Davis, Ruston Daily Leader.

{PREP EVENT}

CLASS I: 1, Billy Turner, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, William Weathers, Baton Rouge Advocate. 3, Roy Lang III, Shreveport Times.

CLASS II: 1, Dan McDonald, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Philip Timothy, Alexandria Town Talk. 3, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk. Honorable Mention, Paul Letlow, Monroe News-Star.

{PRO COLUMN}

CLASS I: 1, Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, John DeShazier, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Honorable Mention, Scott Ferrell, Shreveport Times.

CLASS II: 1, Chris Singleton, Houma Courier. 2, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star. 3, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk. Honorable Mention, Brady Aymond, Lafayette Daily Advertiser.

{COLLEGE COLUMN}

CLASS I: 1, Randy Rosetta, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, William Weathers, Baton Rouge Advocate. 3, Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett Louisiana.

CLASS II: 1, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk. 2, Gary Laney, Lake Charles American Press. 3, Marty Mule’, Tiger Rag.

{PREP COLUMN}

CLASS I: 1, John DeShazier, New Orleans Times-Picayune; Randy Rosetta, Baton Rouge Advocate. 3, Tammy Nunez, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Honorable Mention, Carl Dubois, Baton Rouge Advocate.

CLASS II: 1, Scooter Hobbs, Lake Charles American Press. 2, Teddy Renois, Thibodaux Comet. 3, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Honorable Mention, Paul Letlow, Monroe News-Star.

{PRO FEATURE}

CLASS I: 1, Billy Turner, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Brian Allee-Walsh, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Honorable Mention, Roy Lang III, Shreveport Times.

CLASS II: 1, Brent St. Germain, Houma Courier. 2, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star. 3, None awarded.

{COLLEGE FEATURE}

CLASS I: 1, Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Randy Rosetta, Baton Rouge Advocate. 3, Billy Turner, New Orleans Times-Picayune.

CLASS II: 1, Jeff Matthews, Alexandria Town Talk. 2, Dan McDonald, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 3, Scooter Hobbs, Lake Charles American Press. Honorable Mention, Randy Benson, Alexandria Town Talk.

{PREP FEATURE}

CLASS I: 1, William Weathers, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Joel Anderson, Shreveport Times. Honorable Mention, Pierce Huff, New Orleans Times-Picayune.

CLASS II: 1, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk. 3, Teddy Renois, Thibodaux Daily Comet. Honorable Mention, Philip Timothy, Alexandria Town Talk.

{AMATEUR SPORTS, SPOT NEWS}

OPEN DIVISION: 1, Roy Lang III, Shreveport Times. 2, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 3, Matt LeBlanc, Houma Courier.

{AMATEUR SPORTS, FEATURE/COLUMN}

CLASS I: 1, Tammy Nunez, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Roy Lang III, Shreveport Times. 3, Brian Allee-Walsh, New Orleans Times-Picayune.

CLASS II: 1, Chris Scarnati, Tri-Parish Times. 2, Bob Heist, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 3, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser.

{SPOT NEWS}

CLASS I: 1, Joseph Schiefelbein, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Baton Rouge Advocate staff. 3, Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate. Honorable Mention, Jim Derry, New Orleans Times-Picayune.

CLASS II: 1, Scooter Hobbs, Lake Charles American Press. 2, Chris Singleton, Houma Courier. 3, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star. Honorable Mention, Gary Laney, Lake Charles American Press.

{SERIES/ENTERPRISE}

CLASS I: 1, Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Ted Lewis, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Les East, Baton Rouge Advocate. Honorable Mention, Robin Fambrough, Baton Rouge Advocate.

CLASS II: 1, Brady Aymond, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star. 3, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. Honorable Mention, Marty Mule’, Tiger Rag.

{HEADLINES}

CLASS I: 1, Rob DeArmond, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Phil Wehrle, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Matt Samuels, Baton Rouge Advocate. Honorable Mention, Phil Wehrle, New Orleans Times-Picayune.

CLASS II: 1, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star. 2, Brian Guilbeau, Lake Charles American Press. 3, tie, Brian Guilbeau, Lake Charles American Press and Randy Partsch, Alexandria Town Talk.

{SPECIAL SECTIONS}

CLASS I: 1, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Baton Rouge Advocate. 3, Baton Rouge Advocate.

CLASS II: 1, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Alexandria Town Talk. 3, Monroe News-Star.

{SPORTS MAKEUP}

CLASS I: 1, Matt Randolph, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Jason Pugh, Shreveport Times. 3, Matt Samuels, Baton Rouge Advocate.

CLASS II: 1, Brent St. Germaine, Houma Courier. 2, Raymond Partsch III. Alexandria Town Talk. 3, Michael Doyle, Alexandria Town Talk.

{OUTDOORS WRITING}

OPEN CLASS: 1, Philip Timothy, Alexandria Town Talk. 2, Bob Marshall, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk.

{COLLEGE/PRO PHOTOGRAPHY}

OPEN CLASS: 1, Chuck Cook, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Michael DeMocker, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Bill Feig, Baton Rouge Advocate. Honorable Mention, Travis Spradling, Baton Rouge Advocate.

{PREP/AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY}

OPEN CLASS: 1, Travis Spradling, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Brad Puckett, Lake Charles American Press. 3, Scott Threlkeld, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Honorable Mention, John McCusker, New Orleans Times-Picayune.

{BEST SECTION}

CLASS I: 1, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 2, Shreveport Times. 3, Baton Rouge Advocate.

CLASS II: 1, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Lake Charles American Press. 3, Monroe News-Star. Honorable Mention, Alexandria Town Talk.

{PREP WRITER OF THE YEAR}

CLASS I: 1, Robin Fambrough, Baton Rouge Advocate. 2, Jimmy Watson, Shreveport Times. 3, Billy Turner, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Honorable Mention, Tammy Nunez, New Orleans Times Picayune.

CLASS II: 1, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Brian Guilbeau, Lake Charles American Press. 3, Paul Letlow, Monroe News-Star. Honorable Mention, Kelly McElroy, Houma Courier.

{COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR}

CLASS I: 1, Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett Louisiana. 2, Billy Turner, New Orleans Times-Picayune. 3, Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune. Honorable Mention, Teddy Allen, Shreveport Times.

CLASS II: 1, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser. 2, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star. 3, Scooter Hobbs, Lake Charles American Press. Honorable Mention, Bob Heist, Lafayette Daily Advertiser.

{STORY OF THE YEAR}

Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune

Enterprise piece on the 1967 Saints: Where are they now (40 years later)?

{CO-SPORTSWRITER OF THE YEAR}

Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk, and Dan McDonald, Lafayette Daily Advertiser, 10 points.

Award is determined by the writer who accumulates the most points (points are awarded on a 3-2-1 basis for first through third place) in 14 regular writing categories. Points are not awarded for Prep Writer of the Year, Columnist of the Year or Story of the Year.

{NEWSPAPER SWEEPSTAKES}

(points awarded on a 3-2-1 basis except Story of the Year; first-place awards in parentheses)

CLASS I: 1, New Orleans Times-Picayune (9), 55 points. 2, Baton Rouge Advocate (9), 47. 3, Shreveport Times (1), 14. 4, Gannett Louisiana (2), 7.

CLASS II: 1, Lafayette Daily Advertiser (9), 38 points. 2, Alexandria Town Talk (3), 23. 3, Lake Charles American Press (2), 20. 4, Monroe News-Star (1), 16. 5, Houma Courier (3), 12. 6, tie, Tri-Parish Times (1) and Thibodaux Daily Comet, 3. 7, Tiger Rag, 1.

{INDIVIDUAL SWEEPSTAKES}

CLASS I: (top five)

(points awarded on a 3-2-1 basis except Story of the Year; first-place awards in parentheses)

1, tie, Billy Turner, New Orleans Times-Picayune (2), and Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune (1), 10 points. 3, tie, Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Advocate (2); Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett Louisiana (2); Randy Rosetta, Baton Rouge Advocate (1); and William Weathers, Baton Rouge Advocate (1), 7.

CLASS II: (top five)

1, Kevin Foote, Lafayette Daily Advertiser (3), 14 points. 2, Nick Deriso, Monroe News-Star (1), 11. 3, tie, Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk (1), and Dan McDonald, Lafayette Daily Advertiser (2), 10. 5, Scooter Hobbs, Lake Charles American Press (2), 8.

{SPORTS INFORMATION DIVISION}

BEST FACT SHEET: 1, Chris Yandle, Louisiana-Lafayette. 2, Michael Bonnette, LSU. 3, Doug Ireland, Northwestern State. Honorable Mention, Louis Bonnette, McNeese State.

BEST RELEASE: 1, Alex Restrepo, LSU. 2, Brandon Rizzuto, Nicholls State. 3, Louis Bonnette, McNeese State.

DIVISION I MEDIA GUIDE: 1, Michael Bonnette, LSU. 2, Kent Lowe, LSU. 3, Matthew Bonnette, Northwestern State. Honorable Mention, Chris Yandle, Louisiana-Lafayette.

DIVISION II MEDIA GUIDE: 1, Matt Sullivan, Southeastern Louisiana. 2, Matthew Bonnette, Northwestern State. 3, Brandon Rizzuto, Nicholls State.

DIVISION III MEDIA GUIDE: 1, Bill Franques, LSU. 2, Brian Miller, LSU. 3, tie, Malcolm Butler, Louisiana Tech, and Melissa Foley, LSU.

DIVISION IV MEDIA GUIDE: 1, Brandon Rizutto, Nicholls State. 2, Adam Johnson, Northwestern State. 3, Matthew Bonnette, Northwestern State.

DIVISION V MEDIA GUIDE: 1, Melissa Foley, LSU. 2, Alex Restrepo, LSU. 3, Jake Terry, LSU.

 

The GSWA has been dethroned..

 

Beat me to it slappy. Good lord. Joe Rogan wouldn't even judge that contest.

 

Props to the fellas at The Times in Shreveport. Good guys who do good work.

 

Props to Dan McDonald, who is a fucking stud. Not even an f-ing stud. A fucking stud. Both a workhorse and a talent and that is rare. The business is going to miss him, even though I doubt if he'll be far from it.

And yeah, 13 writing categories is a lot. But I say add more, considering my shop gives comp days for each first place you win...

 

Do they pay you for comp days owed when you get laid off?

 

Spoken like a true cynic!

Actually, I haven't heard much about cuts in Louisiana. New Orleans cut after Katrina, but I would imagine, if anything, their staff has probably grown a little since about 2002 as New Orleans has recovered (I could be way off of that, I really don't know). Baton Rouge's staff is still huge (as is its news hole), the Gannetts (and most of the metro papers — Shreveport, Alexandria, Monroe and Lafayette — are now Gannetts) seem stable after they slashed and burned when they took their papers over years ago. I haven't heard about any insane cuts at Houma and Lake Charles has not had cuts, though it has done the don't-replace-the-guy-who-leaves thing with a few positions.

Maybe the other shoe hasn't dropped yet. It'll happen late, the way other things come late to Louisiana — like I hear we'll get running water and paved roads any day now...

 

Where's Dan McDonald going?

Knew him back when he was USL SID. Obviously an example of someone who can make a transition from PR to journalism.

 

Dan came into a bunch of money and was able to walk away from it all. I agree that he made a seamless transition to being on the journalism side of it from having been on the SID side. I think the SID stuff gave him the work ethic.

 

EVERYBODY GETS ICE CREAM!!!!

 

I know a person or three on this list. Congrats to all.