SPJ’s Top of the Rockies winners 2020
Print: Circulation of between 10,000 – 29,999
| Category Name | Award | Credits | Organization | Entry Title |
| Features: Short form | First Place | Alex Burness | Colorado Independent | After hearing Sam Mandezs story, the judge could only cry |
| Features: Short form | Second Place | Jens Gould, Luis Sánchez Saturno | Santa Fe New Mexican | Tales from a man camp, in 2 parts |
| Features: Short form | Third Place | Alex DeWind | Highlands Ranch Herald | The perfect son |
| A&E and Food: Single Story | First Place | Doug Fox | Daily Herald | Jason Alexander helps Utah Valley University break in new domain at Noorda Center |
| A&E and Food: Single Story | Second Place | Claire McArthur | Devour | When You Want to Visit Napa |
| A&E and Food: Single Story | Third Place | Niki Kottmann | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | A fun alternative to traditional ballet |
| Sports: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Jeremiah Johnke | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | WTE Prep Football Program of the 2010s |
| Business: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Jens Erik Gould, Luis Sánchez Saturno | Santa Fe New Mexican | Permian Basin oil boom |
| Sports: Columns | First Place | Dale Shrull | Grand Junction Daily Sentinel | Whistle while you work; Special Olympics a gather of joy; Decency strikes out |
| Sports Videography | First Place | Nathan Fish | Las Cruces Sun-News | Las Cruces vs. Mayfield: A high school football rivalry like no other |
| News Videography | First Place | Nathan Fish | Las Cruces Sun-News | In the wake of the El Paso Walmart shooting |
| Legal: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Julia Cardi | Law Week Colorado | An Outlier in Southwest Colorado |
| Headline Writing | First Place | Doug Fox | Daily Herald | Entertainment in 2019 |
| Headline Writing | Second Place | Mitchell Byars | Boulder Daily Camera | Police: Man bites dog |
| Politics: General Reporting | First Place | Jens Gould, Gabriela Campos, Luis Sánchez Saturno | Santa Fe New Mexican | Profiles of NM Gov. Lujan Grisham and her inner circle |
| Politics: General Reporting | Second Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | Hickenlooper is pitching his climate credentials on the Senate trail. Its a tough sell. |
| Politics: General Reporting | Third Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | Nearly half of Colorado inmates are parole eligible but still behind bars. Some lawmakers hope to change that. |
| Feature: Long form | First Place | Jens Gould, Gabriela Campos | Santa Fe New Mexican | “A Border on the Edge” |
| Feature: Long form | Second Place | Seth Klamann | Casper Star-Tribune | A Wyoming ranch hand went missing amid one of the great disasters in U.S. Army history, igniting a decadeslong effort to find him |
| Feature: Long form | Third Place | Tina Griego | Colorado Independent | Parked: Mobile home parks become immigrants home away from home |
| General Podcasting Excellence | First Place | Justin Martinez | Las Cruces Sun-News | Straight Shooter |
| General Podcasting Excellence | Second Place | Katherine Lewin | Santa Fe Reporter | Reported |
| General Podcasting Excellence | Third Place | Julia Cardi | Law Week Colorado | Hearsay by Law Week Colorado |
| Single Page Design | First Place | Jonathan Scherer | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Christmas at the White House |
| Investigative/Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Susan Greene | Colorado Independent | Decision Dissected: What regents say they knew and didnt about CU presidential pick |
| Investigative/Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Jeff Proctor | Santa Fe Reporter | Case not Closed |
| Investigative/Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Jens Gould | Santa Fe New Mexican | Investigation of ICE treatment of asylum seekers |
| Front Page Design | First Place | Anson Stevens-Bollen | Santa Fe Reporter | Sold For Sex |
| Front Page Design | Second Place | Joe Horton | Law Week Colorado | What’s in the Cards? |
| Ag and Environment: Enterprise | First Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | Colorados plan to avoid a water shortage needs money. Is a tax on sports betting the answer? |
| Ag and Environment: Enterprise | Second Place | Laura Paskus | New Mexico Political Report | Decades after it was discovered, pollution continues migrating beneath Socorro |
| Ag and Environment: Enterprise | Third Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | In Front Range region suffering from poor air quality, oil and gas drilling hasnt slowed much |
| Marijuana General Reporting | First Place | Jessica Gibbs | Highlands Ranch Herald | Family fights medical marijuana policy |
| Marijuana General Reporting | Second Place | Andy Lyman | New Mexico Political Report | State job opportunities limited for medical cannabis patients |
| Marijuana General Reporting | Third Place | Andy Lyman | New Mexico Political Report | Debate over out-of-state resident eligibility for medical cannabis cards |
| News Column | First Place | Mike Littwin | Colorado Independent | Mike Littwin on race, politics, and another school shooting |
| News Column | Second Place | Susan Greene | Colorado Independent | Greene on crime, punishment and justice |
| News Column | Third Place | Dale Shrull | Grand Junction Daily Sentinel | Muslims don’t feel helpless; Decency strikes out; ‘Thank you for saving my life’ |
| Sports: General Reporting | First Place | Tyler Poslosky | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Band of brothers |
| Sports: General Reporting | Second Place | Jeremiah Johnke | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | A sport of her own |
| Sports: General Reporting | Third Place | Jason Groves | Las Cruces Sun-News | Johnny McCants dedicates breakout sophomore season to older brother |
| Politics: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Alex Burness | Colorado Independent | From rage to heartbreak: How a landmark immigration bill fell apart at the Colorado statehouse |
| Politics: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Mitchell Byars | Boulder Daily Camera | Boulder DA decries deportation of suspect |
| Politics: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Andy Lyman | New Mexico Political Report | Legal costs, impact on women often overlooked in lawsuits |
| Business: General Reporting | First Place | Camille Erickson | Casper Star-Tribune | Blackjewel bankruptcy |
| Business: General Reporting | Second Place | Jens Gould, Gabriela Campos | Santa Fe New Mexican | On the money |
| Business: General Reporting | Third Place | Mitchell Byars | Boulder Daily Camera | Government shutdown: Breweries and alcohol businesses feeling the effects |
| Public Service | First Place | Susan Greene, Niki Turner | Colorado Independent | Through the Cracks: A stranger, a police shooting, and a rural towns silence |
| Public Service | Second Place | Susan Greene | Colorado Independent | GEO-run Aurora ICE Detention Center is isolating immigrants some mentally ill in prolonged solitary confinement |
| Public Service | Third Place | Algernon D’Ammassa | Las Cruces Sun-News | How Libby Leask won a 3-year fight with pension board and changed the law |
| Special Section | First Place | Morgan Hughes, Camille Erickson, Cayla Nimmo, Elysia Conner, Sally Ann Shurmur, Nick Reynolds, Seth Klamann, Chris Aadland, Shane Sanderson, Brandon Foster, Josh Wolfson | Casper Star-Tribune | Breaking Through: The Star-Tribune celebrates 150 years of women’s suffrage in Wyoming |
| Special Section | Second Place | WTE staff , Rachel Girt, Logan Harrison | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | The Renovation of the Wyoming Capitol |
| Special Section | Third Place | Darby Doyle, Anna Kaser, Carolyn Campbell, Jared Blackley, Brian Fryer, Jerre Wroble | Devour | Fall Foraging: Tempting fall festivals and harvest eats give you reasons to hit the road |
| Feature Videography | First Place | Nadav Soroker | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Fire Academy |
| Feature Videography | Second Place | Nathan Fish | Las Cruces Sun-News | How to apply sugar skull makeup |
| Info Graphic | First Place | Damien Willis | Las Cruces Sun-News | Ranked choice voting results: The process |
| Info Graphic | Second Place | Zack Fifer, Julia Cardi | Law Week Colorado | The Legislative Session from Start to Finish |
| Info Graphic | Third Place | Anson Stevens-Bollen | Santa Fe Reporter | Rail Runner |
| A&E and Food: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Darby Doyle | Devour | Calling the Shots: Best advice from behind the bar |
| A&E and Food: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Maya Silver | Vamoose | Foods of Antiquity: Being a hunter-gatherer in drought-prone Utah made for an unpredictable menu |
| A&E and Food: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Merry Lycette Harrison | Devour | Turnaround Cafe, Gardens of Hope |
| General Website Excellence | First Place | Daily Camera Staff | Boulder Daily Camera | Boulder Daily Camera |
| General Website Excellence | Second Place | Staff | Daily Herald | Daily Herald |
| Spot News Photography | First Place | Isaac Hale | Daily Herald | Rollover |
| News Photography | First Place | Isaac Hale | Daily Herald | Police funeral |
| News Photography | Second Place | Michael Cummo | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Plane Movin’ |
| News Photography | Third Place | Katherine Lewin | Santa Fe Reporter | Red Sand |
| Sports Photography | First Place | Isaac Hale | Daily Herald | Box out |
| Sports Photography | Second Place | Michael Cummo | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Hold On |
| Sports Photography | Third Place | Michael Cummo | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | The Defense Rejoices |
| Feature Photography | First Place | Isaac Hale | Daily Herald | Carnival |
| Feature Photography | Second Place | Isaac Hale | Daily Herald | Color run |
| Feature Photography | Third Place | Michael Cummo | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Where To Start? |
| General Reporting- Series or Package | First Place | Jens Gould, Ivan Pierre Aguirre | Santa Fe New Mexican | “Behind the Wall” |
| General Reporting- Series or Package | Second Place | Jessica Gibbs, Alex DeWind | Highlands Ranch Herald | STEM School shooting |
| General Reporting- Series or Package | Third Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | Meet the new bosses (not like the old bosses) |
| News Reporting- Single Story | First Place | Alex Burness | Colorado Independent | Colorado immigrant community in panic mode |
| News Reporting- Single Story | Second Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | Locked up and in withdrawal |
| News Reporting- Single Story | Third Place | Katie Kull | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | Manlove may have omitted key data in court filing |
| Breaking News Story | First Place | Jessica Gibbs, Alex DeWind, David Gilbert, Ellis Arnold, Nick Puckett | Highlands Ranch Herald | STEM School shooting |
| Breaking News Story | Second Place | Mitchell Byars | Boulder Daily Camera | Woman hospitalized, man arrested after shooting |
| Breaking News Story | Third Place | Kristina Pritchett | Boulder Daily Camera | Officials: Town victim of fraud |
| Feature Page Design | First Place | Derek Carlisle, Merry Lycette Harrison | Devour | To Infinitea and Beyond: To boldly seek the best leaves in the galaxy |
| Feature Page Design | Second Place | Tommy Kubitsky, Reid Neureiter, Rebecca Voll, Mark Silverstein | Greater Park Hill News | Park Hill Haunting |
| Health: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Braley Dodson | Daily Herald | Married with autism communication key in neurodiverse relationships |
| Health: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Blake Gumprecht | Las Cruces Sun-News | Beware the spore: Fungus in New Mexico soils causes serious illness |
| Health: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Leah Cantor | Santa Fe Reporter | No Place to Rest |
| Column Personal/Humor | First Place | Diane Schmidt | Gallup Independent | Upon Waking; Your Wild and Precious Life; Driving the Night Shift, Christmas Eve |
| Column Personal/Humor | Second Place | Mike Littwin | Colorado Independent | Littwin: Writers write, but this one couldnt write about the most important person in his life |
| Column Personal/Humor | Third Place | Rebecca Chavez-Houck | Vamoose | All Aboaaard!, Elusive Desert Dwellers, Strangers in a Strange Land |
| Editorials | First Place | Quentin Young | Boulder Daily Camera | Gardner should resign |
| Editorials | Second Place | Brian Martin | Wyoming Tribune Eagle | WTE “Our View” editorials |
| Editorials | Third Place | David Martin | Green River Star | Green River Star editorials |
| A&E and Food: Criticism | First Place | Doug Fox | Daily Herald | His gift is his song: Elton John wows Utah fans in Vivint Arena farewell |
| Religion General Reporting | First Place | Matt Grubs | Santa Fe Reporter | Credibly Accused |
| Religion General Reporting | Second Place | Kristina Pritchett | Boulder Daily Camera | Family blames religious trauma |
| Education: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Seth Klamann | Casper Star-Tribune | Natrona County special education instructors mocked students, shared embarrassing photo and video |
| Education: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Braley Dodson | Daily Herald | Losing the faith: BYU students undergoing faith crises torn between leaving university or staying quiet |
| Education: Enterprise Reporting | Third Place | Braley Dodson | Daily Herald | BYU considered building campuses in Anaheim, Phoenix and Portland to manage growth |
| Science and Technology: Enterprise Reporting | First Place | Charlie Brennan | Boulder Daily Camera | Monitoring an evolving world |
| Science and Technology: Enterprise Reporting | Second Place | Charlie Brennan | Boulder Daily Camera | Boulder claims strong ties to first manned moon landing |
| Education: General Reporting | First Place | Amy Bounds | Boulder Daily Camera | BVSD decides against creating standalone program for students with autism |
| Education: General Reporting | Second Place | Claire McArthur | Devour | Cook Up a Career: From professionals to hobbyists, Park City Culinary Institute offers something for everyone |
| Education: General Reporting | Third Place | Jessica Gibbs | Highlands Ranch Herald | Public funds for private schools |
| Ag and Environment: General Reporting | First Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | What you should know about drilling on federal land in Colorado |
| Ag and Environment: General Reporting | Second Place | Kendra Chamberlain | New Mexico Political Report | Tribes are leaders in wildlife management |
| Ag and Environment: General Reporting | Third Place | John Herrick | Colorado Independent | Night work to continue as I-70 construction takes toll on Elyria-Swansea residents |
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