Hawaii Baptist takes top honor in state journalism competition
Hawaii Baptist: Front row, Karly Tom, left, Danielle Toda, Danielle Woo, Jaryd Sugihara, Amelia Mckenzie and Mikayla Mau. Second row, Shannon Mau, Aaron Wilford, Tanner Isaacs and Kylie Yamauchi.
Kamehameha Maui: Destinee Murray, left, and Maile Sur.
Mililani High: Front, Ireland Castillo, left, and Lauren Barbour. Back row, Matthew Kawamoto, Harlan Rose, Christopher Sato and Hina Neill.
Hawaii Baptist Academy’s student journalists bested 16 other public and private schools to take the top award Wednesday in the annual Hawaii High School Journalism Awards competition.
The independent school was named best in state, followed by Mililani High School and Kamehameha Schools Maui.
"We came last year and we placed third. We tried so hard to do our best over the past year, and it paid off," said Hawaii Baptist senior Danielle Woo, co-editor of the Eagle Eye student newspaper. "This competition motivated me and all of us."
"We really wanted to take first place this year," added Eagle Eye co-editor Jaryd Sugihara.
Nine public schools and eight private schools statewide competed in 21 categories.
In an initial round of judging, public school entries and private school entries were separately awarded winners in each category, ranging from best news writing and feature writing to best layout and digital illustration.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
The winning public school entry and winning private school entry in each category were then judged to determine an overall state winner for each category. Schools garnering the most points across all categories won the top best in state awards.
For Hawaii Baptist, that meant collecting seven first-place awards in the private school division, and an additional five first-place awards in the state division.
Mililani High — last year’s overall top winner — received six first-place awards in the public school division, and one first-place award in the state division this year.
"We all know it’s not about the win, but I’m glad that the work of the staff was validated. Everyone worked really hard," said Mililani senior Lauren Barbour, editor in chief of the Trojan Times.
This year, entries were not separated by print and online publications.
The contest was sponsored by the Hawaii Publishers Association, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, MidWeek, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Morris Visitor Publications and Hagadone Printing.
STATE WINNERS
As selected by a panel of judges.
| CATEGORY | FIRST | SECOND |
| News writing | Kamehameha Maui | Kaiser High |
| Feature writing | Kamehameha Maui | Radford High |
| Profile writing | Kamehameha Kapalama | Radford High |
| Sports writing | Kamehameha Maui | Mililani High |
| Editorial writing | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Mililani High |
| Commentary writing | Radford High | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Photography | Lahainaluna High | ‘Iolani |
| Photo essay | Maui High | Kamehameha Maui |
| Action photography | Mid-Pacific Institute | Mililani High |
| Portrait photography | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Maui High |
| Layout and design | Lahainaluna High | ‘Iolani |
| Hand-drawn illustration | Seabury Hall | Kaiser High |
| Digital illustration | Kaiser High | ‘Iolani |
| Infographic | ‘Iolani | Mililani High |
| Editorial cartoon | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Waipahu High |
| Comic strip | Mid-Pacific Institute | Kaiser High |
| Online video | Maui High | Hawaii Mission Academy |
| Multimedia story presentation | Kamehameha Maui | Mililani High |
| Blog | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Radford High |
| Website | Hawaii Baptist Academy | McKinley High |
| Single issue | Mililani High | Kamehameha Maui |
DIVISION WINNERS
Division winners were selected by a panel of judges. Another panel then picked the state winners.
| Public Schools | ||||
| CATEGORY | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD | |
| News writing | Kaiser High | Radford High | McKinley High | |
| Feature writing | Radford High | McKinley High | Lahainaluna High | |
| Profile writing | Radford High | Mililani High | Kaiser High | |
| Sports writing | Mililani High | Moanalua High | Waipahu High | |
| Editorial writing | Mililani High | Moanalua High | Waipahu High | |
| Commentary writing | Radford High | Mililani High | Moanalua High | |
| Photography | Lahainaluna High | McKinley High | Moanalua High | |
| Photo essay | Maui High | Mililani High | Kaiser High | |
| Action photography | Mililani High | Lahainaluna High | McKinley High | |
| Portrait photography | Maui High | Kaiser High | McKinley High | |
| Layout and design | Lahainaluna High | Mililani High | McKinley High | |
| Hand-drawn illustration | Kaiser High | Lahainaluna High | Mililani High | |
| Digital illustration | Kaiser High | Mililani High | — | |
| Infographic | Mililani High | Kaiser High | Lahainaluna High | |
| Editorial cartoon | Waipahu High | Kaiser High | Mililani High | |
| Comic strip | Kaiser High | Mililani High | Lahainaluna High | |
| Single issue | Mililani High | Lahainaluna High | Moanalua High | |
| Online video | Maui High | Mililani High | McKinley High | |
| Multimedia story presentation | Mililani High | McKinley High | — | |
| Website | McKinley High | Radford High | Mililani High | |
| Blog | Radford High | Mililani High | McKinley High |
| Private Schools | |||
| CATEGORY | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD |
| News writing | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Kamehameha Maui | ‘Iolani |
| Feature writing | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Kamehameha Kapalama |
| Profile writing | Kamehameha Kapalama | ‘Iolani | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Sports writing | Kamehameha Maui | ‘Iolani | Sacred Hearts Academy |
| Editorial writing | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Mid-Pacific Institute | Kamehameha Maui |
| Commentary writing | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Seabury Hall | Kamehameha Maui |
| Photography | ‘Iolani | Hawaii Mission Academy | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Photo essay | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy | ‘Iolani |
| Action photography | Mid-Pacific Institute | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Kamehameha Maui |
| Portrait photography | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Hawaii Mission Academy | Kamehameha Maui |
| Layout and design | ‘Iolani | Hawaii Mission Academy | Kamehameha Maui |
| Hand-drawn illustration | Seabury Hall | Hawaii Baptist Academy | ‘Iolani |
| Digital illustration | ‘Iolani | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Infographic | ‘Iolani | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Editorial cartoon | Hawaii Baptist Academy | ‘Iolani | Kamehameha Maui |
| Comic strip | Mid-Pacific Institute | ‘Iolani | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Single issue | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Kamehameha Kapalama |
| Online video | Hawaii Mission Academy | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy |
| Multimedia story presentation | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Hawaii Mission Academy |
| Website | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Seabury Hall | Kamehameha Maui |
| Blog | Hawaii Baptist Academy | Kamehameha Maui | Hawaii Mission Academy |
MOST VALUABLE STAFFERS
Selected by the staff and adviser of each school newspaper.
WAIPAHU
Chavonnie Ramos
Designer & Photographer
HAWAII BAPTIST
Danielle Woo
Co-Editor
MOANALUA
Eunica Escalante
Editor in Chief
KAISER
Gianni Marabella
Co-Editor in Chief
RADFORD
Hanh Pham
Editor
SACRED HEARTS
Kristen Kate Tumacder
Webmaster
MILILANI
Lauren Barbour
Editor in Chief
MCKINLEY
Lin Song
Co-Editor
‘IOLANI
Lindsey Combs
Editor in Chief
HAWAIIAN MISSION
Lydia Earles
Editor
KAMEHAMEHA MAUI
Maile Sur
Editor in Chief
KAMEHAMEHA
Pono Suganuma
Editor in Chief
LAHAINALUNA
Sofia Fredy
Editor in Chief
LUTHERAN
Tess Fukuyama
Editor in Chief
MID-PACIFIC
Thomas Nitta
Staff writer
