By John Bednarowski

APSE First Vice President

Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herlad won first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors 2017 contest in Beat Writing in the Under 30,000 circulation category.

Schlossman will be presented a first-place plaque at the 2018 APSE Summer Conference Banquet at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University on June 20.

Schlossman edged runner-up Eric Bacharach from the Daily News Journal (Murfreesboro, Tennessee). Justin Pellitier of the Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine, placed third.

Sports editors in the Under 30,000 category submitted 49 beat writing entries. The contest

is open to APSE members. Click here to join.

Contest chair John Bednarowski and fellow APSE officers Todd M. Adams, Robert Gagliardi and Jeff Rosen numbered each entry, assuring they had been stripped of headlines, graphics, bylines and any other element that would identify the writer or news organization.

In February, preliminary judges at the APSE Winter Conference in St. Petersburg, Fla., and off-site around the country, selected a top 10, with each judge ranking the entries in order from 1 to 10 separately on a secret ballot. Entries were given 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second and so on down to one point for a 10th-place vote. The final 10 were given to a second judging group, which ranked the entries 1-10 in the same fashion.

The winner and final rankings are determined by tallying the ballots.

The winner in each category will receive a plaque at the 2018 APSE Summer Conference at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University on June 17-20. The second- through ninth-place writers will receive frameable certificates.

The beat writing category judges a collection of articles by a single author that shows authoritative, newsy and innovative coverage of a beat. Entries were limited to 5 stories.

The top 10 is listed below with links to writers’ Twitter pages, APSE member websites and winning entries.

UND cuts women’s hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and diving

UND able to laugh about hotel fire after key win over Miami

Once a trend in college hockey, Olympic-sized rinks are going away

The life and death of UND women’s hockey

What’s it like to officiate UND-Minnesota?

T-2. Erik Bacharach, Daily News Journal, 43 points (one first-place vote)

With ‘not much time’ left, 12-year-old boy continues to inspire MTSU baseball team:

MTSU quarterback John Urzua’s football career is over after latest concussion

http://on.dnj.com/2CYe8CbMTSU women’s basketball on the road: From Walmart trips to ‘Coach Insell time’

MTSU guard Ed Simpson is building a pancake-making robot

MTSU football hangs on for 35-30 win against Arkansas State in Camellia Bowl:

T-2 Justin Pelletier, Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine), 43 points

Auburn getting a junior hockey team

Jeromey Rancourt – A quiet leader

St. Dom’s escapes Scarborough

Reflecting on a championship

Loud and clear: Strout is a two-time champion

What’s with the ski jumping? A visitor’s guide to Steamboat’s most unique Fourth of July event

International Nordic combined returning in December to Steamboat Springs

Norway’s Kokslien at home in Steamboat on his countryman’s hill

The long climb to PyeongChang

The women who dare: Steamboat female Nordic combined athletes awaken to Olympic possibilities



5. Josh Vitale, Opelika-Auburn News, 38 points (two first-place votes)

Peeling back the layers of Braden Smith

Equestrian, Explained

New NCAA rule will block Auburn from signing Opelika High football players for 2 years

Auburn defeats Alabama in Iron Bowl, wins SEC West for first time since 2013

Jay Jacobs stepping down as Auburn’s athletics director



6. Erik Bacharach, Opelika-Auburn News, 29 points

NFL player, Opelika’s Corey Grant, finishing his education degree at Auburn University

High school wrestling thrives despite lack of collegiate options in Alabama

Auburn High wins three-way coin flip to claim regular-season area title

Auburn boys eliminate Central in dramatic fashion

Former McGill-Toolen coach Caleb Ross named new Opelika head football coach



The untold story of Mitrou-Long’s transfer temptation

How an accidental meeting in a cramped office set the course for Iowa State’ resurgence

The end of an era, but the start of a new one for Iowa State

Examining the data and thinking in Burton’s mid-range game

How Prohm’s alumni reunion passion project changed a life



Iowa’s big experiment — 13 players, many different combinations

Hawkeyes’ wild ride ends in loss to TCU

It’s fun for Hawkeyes

McCaffery chooses basketball and baseball

No popcorn for Pemsl



9. Dylan Montz, Ames Tribune, 22 points (one first-place vote)

Cyclones shake off adversity in Liberty Bowl win

1912 Cyclones leave legacy as last conference champions

Once the “hype department,” ISU’s new media team helps build a brand

How an offseason meeting, academics and a shovel made De’Monte Ruth a changed person

Campbell says ISU will “support” Park if he wishes to transfer



PIAA Wrestling Championships: Meyers’ Pasone disqualified, will not receive 2A medal

Wrestling gets new uniform option

Varsity Voice: Hazleton Area’s Hoffman cherishes support, memories of late grandfather

Varsity Voice: Nanticoke Area’s Kocher inspiring younger wrestlers

Hazleton Area’s Hoffman falls in PIAA 3A wrestling final

