Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher - Better Newspaper Contest
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/222183
Division 1 Best In-Depth Feature or Feature Package/Category 10 First place A celebration of survival Amanda Matlock The Times-Post (Pendleton) Comments: Clearly the best in the category. This is a real feature story with a more in-depth angle in going back through the timeline of the subject's battle. Well-written. The writer kept me reading until the last word. Second place Smith Sunoco to change hands April 1st Larry Hembree The Loogootee Tribune Comments: Good feature story of longtime business changing hands. Third place Childhood hobby becomes lifelong passion Cheryl Patrick The Leader (Knox) Comments: None given Best Sports Event Coverage/Category 11 First place Rivals to meet in county finals Justin Whitaker Hendricks County Flyer (Avon) Comments: The story had a nice, inviting lede and good flow. Well-done. Second place Bruins win stunner over Eagles Jake Thompson Hendricks County Flyer (Avon) Comments: A close second, this story featured a strong lede to set up the game story. Good job. Third place Asher wills Warriors to the win Justin Whitaker Hendricks County Flyer (Avon) Comments: The lede can make or break a story, and this one definitely drew us in. Very nicely done. Best Sports News or Feature Coverage Category 12 First place Bill Stoudt Field dedication Lori Wood The Times-Post (Pendleton) Comments: Great job of profiling the coach so that the reader understands his impact. Second place DeSutter assists on more than just the court Justin Whitaker Hendricks County Flyer (Avon) Comments: Wonderful feature showing all sides of the athlete. Third place 2,000 miles away, two Bulldogs unexpectedly come together Justin Whitaker Hendricks County Flyer (Avon) Comments: Good job capitalizing on the hometown connection. Page 16 A celebration of survival By Amanda Matlock The Times-Post (Pendleton) At 8:46 p.m. on Aug. 13, 2011, Andrea Vellinga's life changed forever. Standing in the first row in front of a temporary stage at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, Vellinga had no idea that a powerful wind gust from a coming storm would blow the rigging to the ground. Vellinga and a friend were waiting for the start of a concert at the Indiana State Fair by one of her favorite bands, the country duo Sugarland. Within seconds, unable to even react to the falling structure of metal and canvas, Vellinga and dozens of others were pinned or crushed in the wreckage. Something had struck her squarely in the head. Her skull was crushed above her right ear. Several other bones were broken. When frantic rescuers, most of them fellow concertgoers, reached her minutes later, she was unresponsive. Victims were everywhere. Four people died at the scene. Three additional victims died in the hospital. Nearly 60 people were injured. Vellinga, like many of the victims, was rushed to IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She was quickly scheduled for emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure mounting in her skull. Placed in a medically induced coma to help keep swelling down, doctors told her husband, her parents and her brother that even if she regained consciousness, she might not ever breathe, walk or talk on her own again. Vellinga spent more than a month in a coma. A ventilator was helping her breathe, and doctors were concerned about pressure building in her head. She suffered fevers and pneumonia. Then, after a month of uncertainty, she slowly started to awaken. On Sept. 7, her daughter asked her to wiggle her fingers. She did. Although she technically was still in a coma, she reacted to music from an iPhone. Then, on Sept. 17, everything changed. She began to communicate with the use of a dry erase board. Eventually, she began to For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on "Contests." Buzzer-beater beats Danville By Justin Whitaker Hendricks County Flyer (Avon) In a seesaw battle between boys' basketball rivals Avon and Danville, it was only natural the game was decided on the final possession. Oriole senior Aaron Bode scored on an up-and-under move from just outside the lane as time expired to send Avon home with a 46-44 victory over Danville Friday night in the semifinals of the Hendricks Regional Health County Basketball Tournament. "I guess I got double or triple teamed, I didn't really see, but I knew I wanted to get some space to get a shot off," Bode said. "I got knocked down on the play so I didn't see it until the very end but definitely relief and excitement when it went in." Danville tied the score at 44 with under 20 seconds to go as Tyler Ross snatched an offensive rebound, scored the putback and was fouled to complete the three-point play. "Tyler's been playing really confident for us," Danville coach Brian Barber said. "The last several weeks there have been times where he is our best player on the floor. He's just done a super job of staying poised and battling." Avon coach Jason Young elected not to take a timeout and let his Orioles play. "We executed a set play without having to use a timeout there in the final seconds and you had senior Jordan Rhoades delivering it to senior Aaron Bode and he made a nice up-and-under move," Young said. There were 15 lead changes and both teams were rarely separated by more than two possessions throughout the contest. Avon led 13-12 after the first, Danville had a 24-23 lead at halftime and the Warriors led 35-32 at the end of the third. "It was a great game," Barber said. "It was one of those games where kids played their hearts out. I thought it was a well-played game by both teams. It's what you would expect in For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on "Contests." Bill Stoudt Field dedication By Lori Wood The Times-Post (Pendleton) On a night perfectly set for baseball, the Pendleton Heights Field of Dreams became Bill Stoudt Field, honoring retired Arabian baseball Coach Bill Stoudt in an emotional ceremony between games of a Pendleton/Rushville doubleheader. Athletic Director John Broughton introduced long-time friend and colleague Stoudt to an audience that included fans, nearly 50 former players, Superintendent Joe Buck, school board member Chris Boots, current Arabian players, former classmates and Stoudt's family – wife Martha, daughters Molly and Susan, and several other family members who made the trek to Pendleton for the ceremony. The ever humble Stoudt spoke to the crowd after being presented with a framed No. 28 jersey by former bat boys Hunter Cook and Mitchell Fowler who are now current PHHS players. Stoudt's number has been retired. When the bottom of the scoreboard was unveiled, the crowded applauded, as the sign will forever read Bill Stoudt Field. "This is so much bigger than me," Stoudt said. "It's about all of the people who have been a part of this program for many, many years. I've always been blessed to have so many wonderful people around me." He went on to name several who he believed were also instrumental in the success of Arabian baseball. "We've been very fortunate at Pendleton Heights to have great parents and great groups of parents who gave not only their time, but their money and resources to do whatever they could to improve the program, and I will always be grateful for that." When Stoudt's emotional speech concluded, he and For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on "Contests."