The Kentucky Journalism Teacher’s Association is proud to announce its award winners for the 2024-2025 school year. Students were rated Superior, Excellent, Honorable Mention or No Award. This is also the first year that we recognized a Best of Kentucky All-State Journalism Team. Those winners are noted at the bottom featuring our 2025 Kentucky/JEA Journalist of the Year Milana Ilickovic from Bullitt East. Thanks to all who entered and we look forward to continuing to grow this contest and journalism in our state. Certificates will be sent out next week.
NEWS/WRITING
NEWS STORY
Superior
Grady Amick and Grace Fridy Manual
Excellent
Grace Fridy Manual
Honorable Mention
Claire Schneider Bullitt East
IN-DEPTH NEWS
Superior
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
Excellent
Alex Hopkins Manual
Honorable Mention
Milana Ilickovic Bullitt East
FEATURE STORY
Superior
Staff Manual
Excellent
Staff Manual
Honorable Mention
Ella Peadbody Highlands
EDITORIAL
Superior
Claire Schneider Bullitt East
Grady Amick Manual
OP-ED
Superior
Ella Mangeot Manual
Excellent
Mary Cristoforidis Boone
Honorable Mention
Parker Garrett Bullitt East
STAFF EDITORIAL
Superior
Staff Manual
Excellent
Staff (Haylee Donovan) Bullitt East
SPORTS FEATURE
Superior
Safa Saedi Manual
Excellent
Meg Gallagher and Parker Henegar Highlands
Honorable Mention
Ella Peabody, Sophie Taylor and Emme Orme Highlands
SPORTS COVERAGE
Superior
Stella Kolers, Sophie Sexton, Scarlett Frisbie and Aaron Ziegler Manual
Excellent
Madison Hodge and Brooke Roy Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Avery Barber and Morgan Janosick Highlands
REVIEW
Superior
Isabella Edghill Manual
Excellent
Parker Henegar Highlands
Honorable Mention
Grady Amick Highlands
DESIGN/LAYOUT
INFOGRAPHIC
Excellent
Brooklyn Mueller and Emmalynn VanMeter Bullitt East
DESIGN AND LAYOUT EXCELLENCE
Superior
Payton Waymeyer Boone
Excellent
Payton Waymeyer Boone
Milana Ilickovic Bullitt East
BEST FRONT PAGE
Excellent
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
Claire Schneider Bullitt East
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Excellent
Claire Schneider Bullitt East
ILLUSTRATION (ARTISTIC)
Excellent
Claire Schneider Bullitt East
ILLUSTRATION (COMPUTER GENERATED)
Excellent
Marisa Bucher Manual
Marisa Bucher Manual
Katie Dikes Manual
Aya Al-Waeli Manual
PHOTOGRAPHY
GENERAL NEWS
Honorable Mention
Natalie Hinegardner Highlands
Cora Bolser Highlands
FEATURE
Superior
Eva Smith Highlands
Excellent
Kara Laber Highlands
Andrea Suarez Espinosa Highlands
Alecia Cogsville Highlands
Ethan Mudd Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Lily Ahlfeld Highlands
SPORTS
Superior
Luke Deegan Highlands
Keira Kobida Highlands
Excellent
Zach England Bullitt East
Audrina Trauth Highlands
Mayrin Romero Hernandez Manual
Scarlett Frisbe Manual
Honorable Mention
Brooklyn Mueller Bullitt East
Jenna Richey Highlands
Adalyn Klosterman Highlands
Morgan Schmidt Manual
THEMED PHOTO PACKAGE
Honorable Mention
Ava Main and Amanda Banasco Boone
PHOTO PACKAGE
Superior
Andrea Suarez Espinoza Highlands
Excellent
Zac Crawford Highlands
Honorable Mention
Kara Laber Highlands
Liz Swift Bullitt East
CAPTION WRITING
Honorable Mention
Jak Perdew Bullitt East
ONLINE COVERAGE
Superior
Manual
Excellent
Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Highlands
SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
Superior
Livewire Bullitt East
Excellent
Charged Media Solutions Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Endeavor Bullitt East
INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN
Excellent
Charged Media Bullitt East
Charged Media Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Livewire Bullitt East
YEARBOOK
BEST OVERALL
First Place
Manual
Second Place
McCracken
Third Place
Bullitt East
THEME DEVELOPMENT
Superior
Staff 1 McCracken
Staff 2 McCracken
Gracie Whitworth Bullitt East
Excellent
Elise Kukla Assumption
Merary Valdez and Sophia Lippolis Highlands
Emmerson Orme Highlands
Gracie Whitworth Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Elise Kukla Assumption
Adrianne Toborowsky Assumption
Luke Deegan and Ady Klosterman Highlands
COVER
Superior
Staff McCracken
Staff Bullitt East
Excellent
Staff Highlands
Elena Gossett Male
Honorable Mention
Elise Kukla Assumption
FEATURE SPREAD
Superior
Madison Mahan McCracken
Sydney Hughes McCracken
Excellent
Kaylee Vander Veldon Assumption
Staff Bullitt East
Staff Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Elise Kukla Assumption
Sophia Lippolis, Gemma Cutajar and Emme Orme Highlands
Ella Peabody and Kara Laber Highlands
Elena Gossett Male
Elena Gossett Male
SPORTS SPREAD
Superior
Claire Kemp McCracken
Skater Houser McCracken
Skater Houser McCracken
Excellent
Staff Bullitt East
Elise Kukla Assumption
Tia Ice Assumption
Grace Peoples McCracken
Caleb Hurley and Ady Klosterman Highlands
Honorable Mention
Adalyn Armstrong-Cattani and Mia Shrout Highlands
Staff Bullitt East
PHOTO PORTFOLIO
Superior
Lilly Lape Assumption
ALTERNATIVE STORYTELLING
Superior
Sophia Lippolis and Gemma Cutajar Highlands
Excellent
Jenna Richey and Caleb Hurley Highlands
Sophia Lippolis and Gemma Cutajar Highlands
Staff Bullitt East
Honorable Mention
Kayla Meyer Assumption
Olivia Brown Assumption
Staff Bullitt East
Staff Bullitt East
BROADCAST
Feature
Superior
Zeara Robinson Manual
Honorable Mention
Sophie Sexton Manual
BEST OF KENTUCKY ALL-STATE JOURNALISTS
Kentucky/JEA Journalist of the Year
Milana Ilickovic Bullitt East
Additional Members
Rylie Trolle Highlands
McKinley Jones Highlands
Margrett Gallager Highlands
Maisly Wilson Highlands
Elizabeth Murriner Highlands
Ashley Fransisco Highlands
Hadley Thompson Bullitt East
Haylee Donovan Bullitt East
Zach England Bullitt East
Claire Schneider Bullitt East
