Sooner yearbook won 13 Gold Circles in results announced Wednesday by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The honors single out individual reporting, photography and design work that appeared in the 2016-17 edition overseen by editor-in-chief Samantha Bechtold.
Of particular significance, Megan Ross won first place for photo portfolio. In Sooner records dating to 1983-84, Ross is just the second Sooner photographer to earn that distinction after Ryan Phillips in 2012-13.
Sooner’s 13 yearbook Gold Circles in this judging cycle were third best in the nation behind Miami’s Ibis and Texas Tech’s La Ventana.
All the honorees are as follows:
1st place
• Photo portfolio: Megan Ross
• Photo illustration, single image: Megan Ross, “State of Education”
• Sports feature writing: Derek Peterson, “From the Ground Up”
• Organization or Greek single spread: Staff, “Soonerthon”
2nd place
• Personality profile: Madison Hostetter, “Lucky Charm”
• Headline writing: Staff
• Theme and concept: Staff
• Sports feature photo: Megan Ross, “A Rocky Road”
• Opening and closing spread design: Levi Wiltfong and Gabrielle Velasco
3rd place
• Design portfolio: Levi Wiltfong
Certificate of Merit
• Feature photo: Harley Harrell, “Five-Star Future”
• Informational graphics, single: Levi Wiltfong, “Camp Crimson 101”
• Student Life multi-page spread: Staff, “Take a Chance, Be a Leader”