** CSMA First Place In-Depth Sports Coverage

** NSPA Honorable Mention Spring 2023 Clips & Clicks Sports Story

** CSMA Honorable Mention Photo Essay

This story is something that I never saw myself doing but has now become my pride and joy.  When I first covered wrestling, it was as a favor to a friend. But, ever since that first meet, I knew there was a bigger story to uncover. I began to continuously cover the team, spending hours and hours at their meets and tournaments. I familiarized myself with the terminology and rulebook, which I previously had been entirely unfamiliar with. I found my story: the entire coaching staff was leaving. 14 seniors were graduating. They upset the second-ranked team of their league. The season was the best they'd ever had. Three wrestlers qualified for State. One of them placed second in 5A, making school history. And I was there for it all.

Some of my photos/coverage were used in a Denver 7 story that can be viewed by clicking here.

The Rock Canyon versus Highlands Ranch basketball game is always one of the craziest games of the year. It's a cross-town rivalry that often results in fights and drama. This year, I jumped on the sign-up coverage as soon as I could to get the chance to cover the game. With two rookie reporters shadowing me, I reported on the players and the game. I faced difficulties with the camera used, as it had never been used before and I had to set up the settings on-the-fly. During the middle of the game, I was shocked by how loud it was and had an idea to use a decibel counter, an aspect of reporting that our staffers had never done before. Now, it's become a much more common thing that reporters on my staff include in their coverage.

When I heard that no one was going to cover softball's Senior Night, I couldn't believe it. Not only was it important coverage to include on the website, but I knew those photos would be important to the players and their families as well. The moment I decided I could go, I grabbed a camera and ran from the media lab to the softball field to introduce myself to the coach and get a spot in the dugout. After a long, long game, I interviewed a few players and drove straight home to upload and edit the photos. I started by using my coverage for a quickly posted social media post, then worked on this article and on getting photos to the families.

I knew that the varsity girls soccer team's state championship game was important and would be a good story, win or lose. However, getting there was a challenge. The game took place on the last day of school, and was over an hour away. Nobody I knew was going to support. It only got worse from there--just a few minutes into the drive, the sky opened up and it poured. Road conditions were terrible, visibility was low and rain turned into hail. I waited under an overpass for as long as I could, grateful to hear that the game was delayed by a half hour, then continued when I could and made it just in time for the start of the game. I used a trash bag to keep water off my camera as I took photos. The only thing more difficult than getting there was interviewing the girls after their loss, but with patience and understanding, they talked to me about it. Despite school being out, I spent the next few days working at my desk, getting photos edited and captions written. I received some backlash for publishing a social media post and an article on such a big loss, especially with "embarrassing" photos of the players crying, but I respected their opinions and didn't flinch in standing by my work.

** NSPA First Place Individual Awards Photo Slideshow

When a friend approached me to complain about the lack of coverage on the wrestling team, I dutifully agreed to change that. However, once I covered the dual, I realized we'd been missing out on great people, photos and stories. Despite not understanding the scoring or terms, I persisted, working alongside wrestlers to correctly write captions and phrase lines. This was my first time covering the team, but definitely not my last. 

Varsity girls volleyball had undergone a lot. COVID-19. A flooded gym. No home court. Lack of student section support. And so much more. So, when the team returned to play a game in their home gym for the first time in three years, I was already on the story. Despite never having photographed a sporting event before, I reported on the game, photographing the players, the student section and the moments after the win. I interviewed the players on the spot after the game, went home to edit my photos and put the article together as best as I could. I even had to crack open the AP Stylebook to ensure I was using sporting terms correctly.