The Iowa High School Press Association awarded four “Best of the Year” titles this week, with half of them coming to West High. IHSPA named Alaina Greenlee ’23 Videographer of the Year for the second consecutive year and Will Cheng ’23 Designer of the Year.

IHSPA also named the WSS staff a 2023 News Team of the Year finalist. IHSPA determines finalists by choosing the schools with the highest number of individual award winners from its annual writing, photography, design and online contests. IHSPA will announce News Team of the Year winners at its annual state conference in October.

IHSPA also awarded the WSS staff a total of 74 individual awards, two Emerging Journalists and two IHSPA Scholars — all listed below.

First place winners:

• Video Story: West High Halloween fundraiser haunted with success by Alaina Greenlee
• Video News Show: West High Weekly 3.24.23 by Alaina Greenlee , Camille Gretter, Isabella Tisdale
• Infographic: Did you know? By Will Cheng
• Interactive graphic: Lunar New Year Thinglink by Athena Wu, Kevy Huynh and Esther park
• Illustration or Art: Lunar New Year by Athena Wu
• Multimedia Sports Story: Recruiting Trail with Meena Tate by Alaina Greenlee and Krisha Kapoor
• Design: Destination West by Will Cheng
• Web Design: wsspaper.com by Camille Gretter
• News Story: Resistance results from controversial law across Iowa City by  Ella De Young, Maya Chu, Audrey Parrish
• Sports Feature Photo: Boys swimming by Gianna Liu
• Personality Profile: From service to service dog by Yaya Orszula
• Health/Science: Next meal by Ella De Young and Marie Stier
• Entertainment: Missed connections 2023 by Erinn Varga
• Photo Story: Iowa City Farmers Market celebrates 50th anniversary by Krisha Kapoor
• Multimedia Feature Story: Destination West by Rosemary Timmer-Hackert, Reem Kirja, Gianna Liu
• Podcasting: No cap recap: winter sports in hindsight by Paige Albright and Zoe Smith
• Multimedia News Story: New school year prompts policy changes by Alaina Greenly
• Social Media Reporting: West Side Story social media accounts by WSS Staff
• Designer of the Year: Will Cheng
• Videographer of the Year: Alaina Greenlee

Second place winners:

• Video Story: Bringing the beat, making a community complete by Alaina Greenlee
• Video News Show: West High Weekly 11.4.22 by Alaina Greenlee , Camille Gretter, Zoe Smith
• Infographic: A sticky debate by Sachiko Goto
• Interactive Graphic: Destination West: Meet the Sources by Destination West: Meet the Sources
• Illustration or Art: Mad Libs by Will Cheng
• Ads: Elemental Studio ad by Athena Wu
• In-depth Sports Story: The route to recovery by Zoe Smith
• Staff Editorial: Editorial: Transparency is key by Ella De Young, Krisha Kapoor, Kamakshee Kuchhal
• News Photo: Students rally for trans rights by Sachiko Goto
• In-depth News Story: Destination West by Reem Kirja, Gianna Liu, Rosemary Timmer-Hackert
• Feature Story: (No) strings attached by Ella De Young, Katherine Shoppa, Marie Stier
• Health/Science: Teaching through turmoil by Camille Gretter
• Sports Action Photo: Fan butterfly by Gianna Liu
• Environmental Portrait: A lifetime of discovery: Brad Wymer by Gianna Liu
• Multimedia Feature Story: A lifetime of discovery: Brad Wymer by Laney Prelle, Alaina Greenlee, Ella De Young
• Podcasting: Life after a Trojan: from West to master of the digital canvas by Paige Albright
• Multimedia News Story: New school year prompts policy changes by Alaina Greenlee
• Social Justice Reporting: Aftershock by Zaira Ahmad, Ella De Young, Gianna Liu

Third place winners:

• Video News Show: West High Weekly 2.17.23 by Alaina Greenlee , Camille Gretter, Isabella Tisdale
• Interactive Graphic: Choosing schooling by Heidi Du and Sila Duran
• News Magazine – One Page Design: The grading dilemma by Sila Duran
• Social Media Promotion: West Side Story social media accounts by WSS staff
• Staff Editorial: Editorial: Mental health matters by Katherine Shoppa
• Feature Photo: Homecoming parade by Sachiko Goto
• Sports Feature Photo: Boys swimming reaction by Marie Stier
• Reviews: Harry Styles’ newest ‘Harry’s House’ review by Tessa Gibson
• Personality Profile: Write this down by Zaira Ahmad, Kamakshee Kuchhal
• Multimedia Feature Story: Let’s ace sexuality: Asexual Awareness Week by Nicole Lee, Isabelle Tisdale, Alaina Greenlee
• Multimedia News Story: West High Halloween fundraiser haunted with success by Alaina Greenlee
• Hawkeye Photographer of the Year: Isabella Tisdale

Honorable mentions:

• Video Story: Recruiting Trail with Meena Tate by Alaina Greenlee and Krisha Kapoor
• Video News Show: West High Weekly 12.23.22 by Alaina Greenlee, Camille Gretter, Yaya Orszula
• Interactive Graphic: Wymer around the world’ StoryMap by Laney Prelle
• Illustration or Art: Home by Sila Duran, Erinn Varga, Athena Wu
• News Magazine – One Page Design: Mad Libs by Will Cheng
• Ads: Handicare ad by Gianna Liu
• In-depth Sports Story: Money moves by Ella De Young, Lily Prochaska
• Multimedia Sports Story: Girls and boys basketball both lose in tough battles to Linn Mar by Ceci De Young, Ella De Young, Lilly Graham
• Staff Editorial: Editorial: The grading dilemma by Rosemary Timmer-Hackert
• Staff Editorial: Editorial: Is it excusable? by Jack Furlong, Rosemary Timmer-Hackert
• News Magazine – Multiple Page Design: Is it excusable? by Sachiko Goto
• News Story: Fake rank by Lilly Graham
• Editorial Cartoon/Comic: Jay’s Jots: No Tardy December Continues by Jay Mascardo
• Editorial Cartoon/Comic: Jay’s Jots: No Tardy December by Jay Mascardo
• Feature Photo: Student Produced Innovative Theater by Sachiko Goto
• Feature Photo: Community Inclusion Club Talent Show by Sachiko Goto
• Sports Feature Photo: Girls basketball by Isabella Tisdale
• Hawkeye Photographer of the Year: Sachiko Goto
• Entertainment: Guide to thrift shopping in Iowa City by Eleanor Weitz
• Photo Story: Protest breaks out after SCOTUS ruling overturns Roe v. Wade by Sachiko Goto and Zoe Smith
• Social Justice Reporting: Resistance results from controversial law across Iowa City by Maya Chu, Ella De Young, Audrey Parrish
• Social Justice Reporting: Home by Ella De Young
• Designer of the Year: Sila Duran
• Designer of the Year: Sachiko Goto

Emerging Journalists:

• IHSPA also identified Marie Stier ’25 and Erinn Varga ’24 as two of Iowa’s Top 10 Emerging Journalists, a program which seeks to acknowledge emerging talent in newspaper, yearbook and digital media students. These students also receive a $100 scholarship toward attending the 2023 Summer Journalism Workshops for high school students through the University of Iowa or Media Now at Drake University.

IHSPA Scholar:

• IHSPA named Laney Prelle ’23 and Rachel Swack ’23 as IHSPA Scholars, an academic honor for the state’s top journalism students.