The Kansas Associated Collegiate Press (KACP) has named a Southwestern College student Yearbook Journalist of the Year.

Senior Katie Gomez, Winfield, received a plaque and a $250 cash award during the organization’s spring conference awards presentation April 18 in Hutchinson. Gomez is the co-editor of the Moundbuilder yearbook this year and served as editor last year. Gomez also placed first in the yearbook event photography category and took third place for yearbook feature photography. Gomez teamed up with Moundbuilder co-editor Jordan Stalder, sophomore from Chapman, to win the yearbook theme development category.

Ten students from Southwestern College joined more than 200 student journalists from nearly 20 colleges and universities at the Grand Prairie Convention Center in Hutchinson April 17 and 18 for the annual two-day conference.  They were accompanied by Stacy Sparks, associate professor of journalism at Southwestern.

Nine other students earned 18 additional individual awards for work they submitted which has been published in the online media site, in the student newspaper, and yearbook during the year. Lea Shores, senior from Goodland, won both the news writing and series writing category and earned an honorable mention for editorial writing. Sophomore Clinton Dick, Kingman, took second place in newspaper series writing, third place in both sports writing and sports photography, and earned an honorable mention in sports column writing.

Senior Paige Carswell, Pratt, took first place in copy editing during an on-site timed contest. Carswell also earned two honorable mentions, one for newspaper headline writing and one for sports writing. Carly Budd, junior from Newton, took second place in yearbook sports photography and also earned second place in newspaper sports photography.

Samantha Gillis, Fort Collins, Colo. senior, earned honorable mentions in both newspaper and yearbook sports photography. Sara Blackburn, Garden City freshman, received second place in yearbook caption writing. Korie Hawkins, Tulsa senior, finished second in newspaper review writing and Kyle Killgore, Wichita freshman, earned second place in newspaper headline writing. Jonathan Woon, Teluk, Intan, Perak, Malaysia freshman, received honorable mention in yearbook feature photography.

In the overall competition for student media, the 2010 Moundbuilder staff received a bronze medal in the yearbook division. “The Collegian” student newspaper earned a silver medal in the four-year private college newspaper division and SCUpdate earned a bronze medal in the online category.

The conference included sessions led by Larry Hatteberg, KAKE News; John Montgomery, publisher of the Hutchinson News; Earl Watt, publisher of the High Plains Leader; Corey Jones of the Topeka Capital Journal; and Mike Yoder of the Lawrence Journal-World. They also attended sessions on design and media law.

Sparks was elected secretary of KACP during the conference and begins a two-year term on the executive board this fall.