Two Southwest High School students produced journalistic gems this spring with their efforts in state contests.
Addison and Joshua mined award-winning moments at the Nebraska School Activities Association State Journalism Championships. They were among more than two dozen LPS journalists who returned home with valuable prizes.
Addison and Joshua both captured state memories for the Silver Hawks. Addison earned a state championship in Headline Writing and eighth place in the Sports News Writing contest, and Joshua collected a second-place award in the Advertising category.
Addison said she was stunned when she learned she had become a state champion.
“To hear my name be called as a state champion was really surreal,” Addison said. “I’ve always been interested in writing and journalism, but I never thought that I would be able to achieve something like this. I can’t take all the credit though, as my parents and amazing advisor have pushed me to seize opportunities and be confident in my writing.”
Delani Young worked with both Addison and Joshua in her first year as Southwest’s yearbook advisor. She was happy that the Silver Hawks earned recognition for their work.
“It was an incredible experience to see Josh and Addison succeed at state,” Young said.
Addison submitted three headlines into this year’s contest. She created “Eat Well, Feel Well, Run Well” for a story about nutrition habits of girls cross country runners, and she wrote “A Tight-Knit Community” for an article about Southwest’s fashion club. She produced “From First Base to First Place” as a headline about Southwest’s state championship softball team.
Addison said she was looking forward to increasing her journalism knowledge at Southwest.
“I’ve learned more than I can even believe from being on the journalism staff,” Addison said. “Before this year, I didn’t know how to write a news story or a proper headline, which is kind of embarrassing to admit. But, with the constant patience of my advisor and classmates, I was able to learn so much and eventually start to hone my skills as a writer.”
2026 Class A State Journalism Contest Team Results
Millard North 404 points, Papillion-La Vista 310, Lincoln Southeast 242, Papillion-La Vista South 232, Omaha Marian 224, Omaha Burke 124, Omaha Westside 118, Elkhorn South 108, Fremont 106, Millard South 102, Bellevue East 90, Millard West 90, Lincoln East 82, Omaha Central 62, Bellevue West 46, Omaha Bryan 46, Lincoln Southwest 44, Lincoln North Star 36, Omaha Westview 24, Omaha North 20, Omaha Buena Vista 18, Omaha Benson 16, Kearney 14, Lincoln Northeast 10
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