Gwinnett Daily Post

The Gwinnett Daily Post won 17 awards in the Division II category, including three 2007 best sports section awards, in voting conducted by the Georgia Sports Writers Association.

In addition to a first-place honor for best sports section, the newspaper was chosen as the best Sunday sports section and the best sports section layout. The Daily Post also received second place in best special section for its 2007 football preview section that featured a county-wide poll of high school football players.

The contest was judged by four veteran journalists from other states.

Individually, staff writer Christine Troyke won four awards, including two first-place finishes. She placed first for best professional sports news story on deadline and outdoors writing. Her first-place news story was on the Gwinnett Gladiators' signing of Derek Nesbitt and her outdoor piece was on three local women preparing for the Iron Girl Triathlon.

Troyke also received third-place awards for best pro event story on deadline for the AT&T Classic golf tournament and for best pro sports news story on deadline for the Gladiators' Colton Fretter being named rookie of the year.

Staff writer Brandon Brigman took first place for best high school sports news story on deadline for his coverage of Peachtree Ridge football coach Blair Armstrong's resignation. He also got second place for best high school event story on deadline for last year's North Gwinnett-Lowndes state football title game.

Staff writer Ben Beitzel won first for amateur non-scholastic sports for his feature on autistic youth football player Jamie Dickson. He also received two third-place awards from best high school sports event story on deadline (for the state girls track meet) and for amateur non-scholastic sports (for a feature on handicapped swimmer Alex Cook).

Sports editor Will Hammock won four awards, including first place for best high school event story on deadline for his coverage of Buford's state football championship. He received second-place awards for his coverage of Brookwood football player Daniel Peek's death (best high school sports news story on deadline) and for a feature on 11-year-old cancer survivor Weldon Gaffney (amateur non-scholastic sports). He also got third place for best college feature or series, non-deadline, for his story 1990 Georgia Tech football captain Jeremiah McClary.

The Daily Post swept two catagories - best high school event story on deadline and amateur non-scholastic sports.

Current Daily Post staff writer David Friedlander also earned three second-place awards for his 2007 work with the Marietta Daily Journal.

- From staff reports

Click here for a list of the award-winning stories