Santa Rosa High wins top award in journalism contest

Santa Rosa High School grabbed first-place honors in five categories, including overall excellence, in the 66th annual Redwood Empire Excellence in Journalism awards held Thursday.

The contest, sponsored by The Press Democrat, recognizes achievement in 13 categories.

Since 2000, only three schools had won the award for overall excellence: Casa Grande, Rancho Cotate and Sonoma Valley. Casa Grande has won the category in six of the past seven years. They were runners-up to Santa Rosa.

The outstanding journalist award went to Santa Rosa High’s editor-in-chief, Isabella Froman.

“It means that everything I have done in the last four years is worth it,” the UC San Diego-bound senior said. “I admire Casa Grande’s paper, but I’m so proud that we were able to do this.”

Santa Rosa’s adviser, Casey Elsa, said The Santa Rosan’s staff regularly went beyond basic news coverage.

“It was not just a one-stop moment of coverage; they kept going with it. That’s what’s beautiful about them,” she said. “We’ve had that in the past, but this group takes it to a higher level.

“They are just wonderful, dedicated individuals,” she said.

More than 100 area high school journalism students and their advisers attended Thursday’s luncheon and ceremony sponsored by The Press Democrat.

The following students won first-place awards:

Advertising: Lindsay Bribiescas, Santa Rosa

Column: Adam Curry and Jacob Little, Sonoma Valley

Design and layout: The Gaucho Gazette, Casa Grande

Editorial: Alesha Delaney and Mary Kelly Crnich, Healdsburg

Feature story: Alya Bohr, Analy

News coverage: Audrey Hall and Quinn Pieper, Casa Grande

Online excellence: The Onlooker, St. Vincent

Photography – Feature: Sunce Franicevic, Santa Rosa

Photography – Sports: Dakota McGranahan, Santa Rosa

Review: Ivan Ost, Analy

Sports story: Juliet Daniel, Healdsburg

Overall excellence: The Santa Rosan, Santa Rosa

Outstanding journalist: Isabella Froman, Santa Rosa

You can reach Kerry Benefield at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @benefield and on Instagram at kerry.benefield.