University of Montana School of Journalism Honors State’s Top High School Journalists

More than 60 students and teams at 19 high schools across the state, from Libby to Malta, from Florence to Jordan, have earned top honors from the University of Montana School of Journalism for writing and reporting, photography, videography, graphic design and online storytelling.

The School of Journalism announced the winners of the annual Montana High School Journalism Awards June 9, celebrating the state’s top high school journalists for their outstanding coverage this year of topics ranging from new lunchrooms to the pandemic response.

Grace Carr. Courtesy photo.

The Montana Journalism Education Association also named Grace Carr of Great Falls as this year’s High School Journalist of the Year. Grace is a graduate of C.M. Russell High School and will be starting at the University of Montana School of Journalism in the fall.

Grace was a part of the journalism program at CMR all four years and worked as the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, the Stampede, her junior and senior years. She says one of the highlights of her high school journalism career was reporting on teen pregnancy in Great Falls. In addition to her work in Beth Britton’s journalism program at CMR, Carr also wrote for the Great Falls Tribune as part of the paper’s teen panel.

“I have always enjoyed writing and it gives me the opportunity to effectively share well-researched information with the community,” Grace writes. “I’ve always been a quiet person and enjoy listening to others’ stories so journalism gives me the ability to share these amazing and differing perspectives with others.”

Carr says she is eager to try new ways of telling stories at the J-School and is looking forward to meeting new people and collaborating with other journalists and storytellers.

In the Montana High School Journalism Awards, Carr won second place for both news writing and infographic design and a third-place award for opinion writing.

In the general excellence categories, the staff at the Sun Journal at Big Sky High School in Missoula won the “Newspaper Pacesetter” award for class AA schools and the staff of the Signal Butte at Custer County District High School won in the class A competition. Bigfork High School’s Norse Code won in class B and The Mustang Monthly at Ennis High School won in class C.

In the “Broadcast Pacesetter” category, C.M. Russell High School’s Quinn Soltesz at the Stampede won among class AA schools and the staff at The Norse Code from Bigfork High School won in class B.

The Hellgate Lance at Hellgate High School in Missoula won the AA contest in the “Online Pacesetter” category and The Norse Code at Bigfork High School won among class B schools.

See more first-place winners here:

See the full list of winners here:

Class Category Rank Newspaper/Program School Individual Winner (If applicable)
B Advertising Design First The Florence Chronicle Florence-Carlton High School Josie Miller
A Advertising Design First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Signal Butte Staff
AA Advertising Design First The Stampede C.M. Russell High School Quinn Sotlesz
B Audio First The Mustang Gazette Malta High School Bonnie Jones
AA Audio First The Stampede C.M. Russell High School Quinn Soltesz
AA Broadcast Pacesetter First The Stampede C.M. Russell High School Quinn Soltesz
B Broadcast Pacesetter First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Norse Code Staff
B Editorial Cartooning First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Josephine Howlett
AA Editorial Cartooning First Hawk Talk Bozeman High School Andy Tallman
B Feature Photography First Florence Chronicle Florence-Carlton High School Olivia Berard
A Feature Photography First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Claire Kuchynka
AA Feature Photography First The Stampede CM Russell High School Nancy Beston
C Feature Writing First The Mustang Monthly Ennis High School McKenzie Taylor-Casey
A Feature Writing First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Allie Wagner
AA Feature Writing First Hawk Tawk Bozeman High School Lily Smith
B Feature Writing First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Josephine Howlett
A Infographic First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Lindon Starck
AA Infographic First Hawk Tawk Bozeman High School Macy Duncan
B Infographic First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Josephine Howlett
B News Photography First Florence Chronicle Florence-Carlton High School Nick Sanchez
A News Photography First Signal Butte Custer County District High School
AA News Photography First The Stampede CM Russell High School Nancy Beston
C News Writing First The Mustang Monthly Ennis High School Drake Blair
A News Writing First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Kaden Kuchynka
AA News Writing First Hawk Talk Bozeman High School Brooke Bothner
AA News Writing First Hawk Talk Bozeman High School Brooke Bothner
B News Writing First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Ashley Miller
AA Newspaper Design First The Sun Journal Big Sky High School Sun Journal Staff
A Newspaper Design First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Signal Butte Staff
B Newspaper Design First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Norse Code Staff
A Newspaper Pacesetter First Signal Butte Custer County District High School Signal Butte Staff
C Newspaper Pacesetter First The Mustang Monthly Ennis Mustang Monthly Staff
B Newspaper Pacesetter First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Norse Code Staff
AA Newspaper Pacesetter First The Sun Journal Big Sky High School Sun Journal Staff
AA Online Pacesetter First Hellgate Lance Hellgate High School Hellgate Lance Staff
B Online Pacesetter First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Norse Code Staff
AA Opinion Writing First The Sun Journal Big Sky High School Gus Dinsmore
C Opinion Writing First Reed Point Review Reed Point High School Cole Bare
A Opinion Writing First Libby Logger Libby High School Suvari Neff
B Opinion Writing First The Florence Chronicle Florence-Carlton High School Josie Miller
AA Photo Illustration First Hawk Tawk Bozeman High School Andy Tallman, Kelly Coyne, Macy Duncan, and Braelyn Hamilton
B Photo Illustration First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Scout Nadeau
A Sports Event Writing First Libby Logger Libby High School Syd Gier & McKenzie Proffitt
C Sports Event Writing First The Mustang Monthly Ennis High School Avery Oliver
AA Sports Event Writing First Hawk Tawk Bozeman High School Adele Gammill
B Sports Event Writing First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Addison Reichner
A Sports Feature Writing First Libby Logger Libby High School Bethany Thomas
C Sports Feature Writing First The Mustang Monthly Ennis High School Avery Oliver
AA Sports Feature Writing First Hawk Tawk Bozeman High School Jonas Cawley
A Sports Photography First Signal Butte Custer Country District High School Kaden Kuchynka
B Sports Photography First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Elizabeth Hyde
AA Sports Photography First The Sun Journal Big Sky High School Maddie Crandall
B Video: Arts & Entertainment First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Scout Nadeau
B Video: General Assignment News First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Maya Hartig
B Video: PSA First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Addison Reichner
B Video: Sports First The Norse Code Bigfork High School Ryder Nollan