Knights, Silver Hawks claim awards in Nebraska communications contest

May 20, 2026

Members of the Southeast and Southwest journalism staffs created award-winning news content at a state communications showcase this spring.
 
The Knights and Silver Hawks displayed their journalism talents at the Nebraska Press Women High School Communications Contest. They joined students from 19 other Nebraska schools at the event, which featured 508 entries in 23 categories. The contest included writing, photography, graphics, broadcast and yearbook classifications.
 
Southeast claimed the team championship with 19 awards. The Knights captured first place in five categories and added silver medals in five additional contests. Southwest earned three awards at the state event. Brianne Clark is the print and broadcast journalism advisor at Southeast and Delani Young is Southwest’s journalism advisor.
 
Southeast students Evangeline Ahern and Cory Nguyen each played valuable roles in the school’s success. Ahern is a member of The Clarion newspaper staff and Nguyen is part of the Knight Pride News broadcast team. Both said their journalism experiences have been fulfilling.
 
“I have learned so much from taking journalism classes and being a part of The Clarion newspaper team,” Ahern said. “I hardly had any interest in writing before joining, but through The Clarion it has become a valuable creative outlet for me. While yes, there’s a lot of humbling that you take from learning a new skill such as producing a newspaper, I feel that this whole experience has been a confidence builder.”
 
“The most important aspect for me is teamwork with my peers,” Nguyen said. “They help a lot and they are great to work with, and that experience makes it so much better to pursue journalism. I am a tech enthusiast myself, so learning new things about the behind-the-scenes is very entertaining.”

Ahern earned a state championship for her single-page layout called “Spooky Movies to Sink Your Teeth Into.” She filled the newspaper’s back page with a review of Halloween-themed films and drawings of horror movie characters. She said it was rewarding to produce impactful illustrations for readers.
 
“I enjoy helping with a lot of graphics and illustrations for my fellow newspaper staff, but it was fun to focus on my own little self-indulgent project,” Ahern said. “I’m happy that so many people seem as excited about my designs as I am.”
 
Nguyen was part of a five-person team that won first place for a Knight Pride News episode aired on Dec. 5. Sofia Bunch, Sydney Kjeldgaard, Jenna Steinke and Adam Taylor joined forces for the newscast. Nguyen and Mason Sheehan pocketed a state title for a video sports story about Southeast’s bowling program.
 
Lida Prochaska and Kristina Gevorkova also captured first-place honors for their work. Prochaska won a gold medal for a column about the influence of artificial intelligence in today’s classrooms, and Gevorkova claimed a championship for a newspaper feature story about preparing for severe weather.
 
Nguyen and Ahern both said journalism has given them many skills they will use throughout their lives.
 
“I feel like my newscast experiences will help me become a better speaker,” Nguyen said. “I don’t really like public speaking as much, but this class opens me up to more opportunities to do so. It also has helped me research information and to make sure they are reliable. It has helped me cross reference and make sure that I have the correct information.”
 
“I feel drastically more confident in my ability to communicate and be a team player, as it is crucial to newspaper production,” Ahern said. “I feel more secure in my art and design skills due to the recognition I’ve received from Mrs. Clark and fellow Clarion staff. I just overall feel like I’ve found a voice as someone who isn’t usually seen or heard.”

2026 Nebraska Press Women High School Communications Contest Results

Southeast Results

Sofia Bunch, Sydney Kjeldgaard, Cory Nguyen, Jenna Steinke, Adam Taylor – First Place – Best Newscast
Lida Prochaska – First Place – Columns or Blogs
Kristina Gevorkova – First Place – Environment
Evangeline Ahern – First Place – Single-Page Layout
Cory Nguyen, Mason Sheehan – First Place – Video Sports Story
Evangeline Ahern – Second Place – Double-Truck Layout
Lanna Ramirez Cromer – Second Place – Single-Page Layout
Sydney Kjeldgaard, Jenna Steinke – Second Place – Video Feature Story
Adam Taylor, Alex Ringenberg – Second Place – Video News Story
Adam Taylor – Second Place – Video Sports Story
Sofia Bunch, Sydney Kjeldgaard, Cory Nguyen, Jenna Steinke, Adam Taylor – Third Place – Best Newscast
Kristina Gevorkova – Third Place – Feature Story
Sydney Kjeldgaard, Mason Sheehan – Third Place – Video News Story
Myla Davis – Honorable Mention – Columns or Blogs
Mina Jan – Honorable Mention – Opinion
Evangeline Ahern – Honorable Mention – Opinion
Myla Davis – Honorable Mention – Opinion
Lily Deitering – Honorable Mention – Review
Cory Nguyen – Honorable Mention – Video Feature Story

Southwest Results

Lily Weidemeier – Second Place – Yearbook Layout
Kayleigh Chaulk – Honorable Mention – Opinion
Lily Weidemeier – Honorable Mention – Yearbook Photo
 
Learn how journalism classes are a key piece of the LPS English language arts curriculum.
 
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