Awards
2024-2025
College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
First Place, Best Breaking News Coverage of Diversity (Division III): Tate Farinacci ’25, Laken Kincaid ’24, and Amelia Marlow ’25, “BREAKING: Petition garners national attention to stop JCU drag show”
First Place, Best Breaking News Story (Division III): Laken Kincaid ’24, Joseph Wiethorn ’25, and Evan Richwalsky ’25, “BREAKING: John Carroll evaluating legal options in zoning battle with Shaker Heights”
Third Place, Best Podcast (Division III): Tate Farinacci ’25 and Evan Richwalsky ’24, “Beyond the Quad”
Best of Student News Online Awards
Jacob Meyers ’28, “From soccer fields to SNL: Marcello Hernandez returns to JCU”
Joseph Wiethorn ’25, “Violence before my eyes”
2023-2024
College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
Third Place, Best Audio Newscast (0-2,999 students): Laken Kincaid ’24, “Heights Now: How will SB83 impact DEI initiatives at John Carroll University?”
Honorable Mention, Best General News Story (1,000-2,999 students): Laken Kincaid ’24, “Sherri Crahen’s New SAFAC Process Receives Heavy Backlash at Student Government Meeting”
Honorable Mention, Best Profile (1,000-2,999 students): Patrick Kane ’23, “George Granville: From Boler to the World”
Honorable Mention, Best Column (0-2,999 students): Laken Kincaid ’24, “Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems: An Armageddon the US Ignores”
Honorable Mention, Best Sports Game Story (1,000-2,999 students): Garrett Siegel ’23, “Men’s Soccer wins OAC for Fifth Straight Year to Head to NCAA Tournament”
Society for Professional Journalists Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards
Winner, Regional Political Reporting: Laken Kincaid ’24, “How will SB83 impact diversity initiatives at John Carroll University?“
Finalist, General News Reporting (under 10,000 students): Laken Kincaid ’24: “Firearm found in Dolan Hall before Thanksgiving break, investigation under way”
Finalist, Radio Feature: Laken Kincaid ’24, Nick Sack ’23, Evan Richwalsky ’24, Heights Now: “Meet the man who “makes them pay””
Finalist, Breaking News Photography: Nick Sack ’23, “Notorious party bus “Cabbie D” struck on E. 116th Street and Shaker Boulevard”
Press Club of Cleveland All-Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards
First Place, General News Writing: Laken Kincaid ’24, “Islamophobic remarks written on chalkboard amidst Israel-Hamas conflict”
First Place, Feature Writing: Tate Farinacci ’25, “How JCU is maintaining its Jesuit Identity with fewer Jesuits”
First Place, Audio General News: Laken Kincaid ’24 and Evan Richwalsky ’24, “Heights Now: JCU’s classroom service requirement in the face of the Cleveland Diocese’s decision“
Second Place, General News Writing: Laken Kincaid ’24, “Firearm found in Dolan Hall before Thanksgiving Break, investigation underway”
Second Place, Feature Writing: Laken Kincaid ’24, ” If it’s Sunday…The story behind the Meet the Press Fellowship”
Second Place, Sports Writing: Grant Sarnowski ’24, “Alumni Spotlight: Max Loeb’s impactful presence in sports content”
Third Place, Sports Writing: Leah Harrigan ’24, “Women’s soccer captures first OAC regular season title since 2013″
Ohio Society for Professional Journalists Ohio’s Best Journalism Contest
Second Place, Best College Opinion Writing: Kate Ferenchak, “DEAD! The scariest chord ever put to score”
Best of Student News Online Awards
Tate Farinacci ’25, “The role of the laity in preserving JCU’s Jesuit mission and identity”
Amelia Marlow ’25, “John Carroll partners with Notre Dame College for teach-out program”
Laken Kincaid ’24, “The smoking gun: marijuana use on campus in the face of Issue 2″
Tate Farinacci ’25, “How JCU is maintaining its Jesuit Identity with fewer Jesuits”
Laken Kincaid ’24, “Islamophobic remarks written on chalkboard amidst Israel-Hamas conflict”
Laken Kincaid ’24, “Firearm found in Dolan Hall before Thanksgiving Break, investigation under way”
Celie Ostroski ’25, “Forgotten battles: Unraveling the absence of Nagorno-Karabakh in U.S. media”
Michael Walsh ’25 and Tate Farinacci ’25, “How JCU students and faculty view Hamas’ attack in Israel”
Laken Kincaid ’24and Aliyah Shamatta ’24, “NBC News veteran Pete Williams returns to campus as JCU’s journalist in residence”
Alissa Van Dress ’25, “The Library of Congress preserves WJCU’s Bocskai Rádió”
