2023 Contest Winners
ACTION
Winner: Ezra Shaw
Honorable Mention (left): Mitchell Leff
Honorable Mention (middle): Sam Hodde
Honorable Mention (right):Emilee Chinn
EMOTION
Winner: Lindsey Wasson
Honorable Mention (left): Keith Birmingham
Honorable Mention (middle): Lindsey Wasson
Honorable Mention (right): Bill Streicher
PORTRAIT
Winner: Evan Triplett
Honorable Mention (left): Will Vragovic
Honorable Mention (middle): Evan Triplett
Honorable Mention (right): Marty Corcoran
Pictorial
Winner: Matthew DeSantis
Honorable Mention (left): Ezra Shaw
Honorable Mention (middle): Evan Triplett
Honorable Mention (right): Ben Ludeman
FEATURE
Winner: Robert Sabo
Honorable Mention (left): Daniel Shirey
Honorable Mention (middle): Karen Warren
Honorable Mention (right): Al Bello
AMATEUR
Winner: Jason Fochtman
Honorable Mention (left): Keith Birmingham
Honorable Mention (middle): Ben Ludeman
Honorable Mention (right): Brad Rempel
STUDENT
Winner: Ainsley Fauth
Honorable Mention (left): Caroline Gerke
Honorable Mention (middle): Connor Caldon
Honorable Mention (right): Joaquin Torre
PORTFOLIO
Winner: Brace Hemmelgarn
Honorable Mention: Kelsey Grant
Honorable Mention: Emilee Chinn
Honorable Mention: Kevin D. Liles
Story
Winner: Scott Strazzante
“A Bittersweet Season at the Oakland Coliseum”
Widely known as the worst stadium in Major League Baseball, the Oakland Coliseum, home to the Athletics since 1968, had a tumultuous 2023 season. The team lost 112 games, drew less than a million fans and had ownership announce their intention to move the franchise to Las Vegas. Despite the bad news, the aging concrete ballpark saw the passionate A’s fan base mobilize in an attempt to keep their team in Northern California.
Honorable Mention: Al Bello
“The Savannah Bananas”
The Savannah Bananas were part of the Coastal Plain League, a summer collegiate league, for seven seasons. In 2022, Team owner Jesse Cole announced that the Bananas were leaving the Coastal Plain League to play what he described as "Banana Ball" year-round. Banana Ball was born out of the idea of making baseball more fast-paced, entertaining, and fun. All of their games are sold out around the United States and their motto is "Fans First'.
Honorable Mention: Billy Schuerman
“Norfolk’s Sodfather Faces His Final Season”
Kenny Magner has been the head groundskeeper for the Norfolk Tides for over 40 years. After a lifetime of service to the club, he faces his final season. “I don’t have a degree or nothing in turf management," Magner said. "I do know baseball from the early days, when it wasn’t about the aesthetics. It wasn’t about all of that. It was just about the game.”