2024 All-State Journalists
Fallon Head
Sydney Ortiz
Zachary Ford
Cameron Minatrea
Kaitlyn Sitton
Marie Wakefield
Tricia Darcy
Shelby Townsend

JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Conference - Philadelphia
Staff Honors
Newsmagazine Pacemaker Finalist
3rd Place - Newsmagazine Best of Show (more than 1,800 students)
8th Place - Website Best of Show (more than 1,800 students)
9th Place - Yearbook Best of Show (Books with 144-256 pages)

Individual Honors
JEA Best of Show (Published from July 2024-October 2024)
1st Place - Sydney Ortiz, News Story Best of Show
3rd Place - Sydney Ortiz, Broadcast News Best of Show
3rd Place - Shelby Townsend, Feature Photo Best of Show
4th Place - Sydney Ortiz, Broadcast News Best of Show
4th Place - Fallon Head, Editorial Leadership Best of Show
5th Place - Sydney Ortiz, Sports Photo Best of Show
6th Place - Sydney Ortiz, Broadcast Feature Best of Show
7th Place - Fallon Head, Feature Story Best of Show

NSPA Individual Awards (Published last school year)
1st Place - Fallon Head, Sydney Ortiz, Slideshow of the Year
2nd Place - Emily McKithern, Sports Action Photo of the Year
3rd Place - Sydney Ortiz, Writer of the Year
4th Place - Grace Darcy, Environmental Portrait of the Year
Honorable Mention - Sydney Ortiz, Photojournalist of the Year
Honorable Mention - Maya Ortiz, Sports Story of the Year
Honorable Mention - Fallon Head, News Story of the Year
Honorable Mention - Kaitlyn Sitton, Feature Photo of the Year

On-site competition
Superior - Lexi Ratcliff, Literary Magazine Photography
Excellent - Shelby Townsend, Editorial Cartoon
Excellent - Sydney Ortiz, Photo Story
Honorable Mention - Fallon Head, News Writing
Honorable Mention - Jordan Hutchinson, Sports Action Photography

Quill & Scroll - Yearbook competition
Krisslyn Boyles, Sydney Ortiz - 2nd Place, Club/Organizations Spread

Quill & Scroll - Writing, Photo, and Multimedia competition
Marie Wakefield - 1st Place, Sports Column Writing
Sydney Ortiz - 2nd Place, Sports Column Writing
Sydney Ortiz - 1st Place, Multimedia Feature/News Package
Fallon Head - Honorable mention, News Writer of the Year
Sydney Ortiz - Honorable mention, Breaking News Photography
Jacob Dinh - Honorable Mention, Feature Photography
Zachary Ford, Rocco Huerta, Tricia Darcy, Jacob Dinh - Honorable Mention, Photo Slideshow
Shelby Townsend - Honorable Mention, Editorial Cartoon
Jordan Hutchinson - 1st Place, Audio Podcast: Single Episode

TAJE Fall Fiesta
Kaitlyn Sitton - Marketing, Superior
Kaitlyn Sitton - Newspaper Design, Excellent
Kaitlyn Sitton - Feature Photo, Excellent
Ella Hickman - Digital Photo, Best of Show
Ella Hickman - Beginner Yearbook Design, Honorable Mention
Ella Hickman - Digital Photo: Big Feelings, Superior
Shelby Townsend - Editorial Illustration, Honorable Mention
Fallon Head - News Writing, Superior
Fallon Head - Feature Photo, Excellent
Sydney Ortiz - Video News Story, Excellent
Sydney Ortiz - Video Feature Story, Honorable Mention
Emily McKithern - Photo Portfolio, Honorable Mention
Emily McKithern - Sports Action Photo, Excellent
Emily McKithern - Sports Reaction Photo, Honorable Mention
Jacob Dinh - First-year Photo, Superior
Tricia Darcy - Sports Action Photo, Superior
Tricia Darcy - Digital Photo: Big Feelings, Honorable Mention
Tricia Darcy - Digital Photo: Rizz, Honorable Mention
Jordan Hutchinson - Digital Photo: Peak Action, Honorable Mention
Jordan Hutchinson - Digital Photo: Student Journalists, Honorable Mention
Bishop Scott - Digital Photo: Rizz, Superior
Heather Horace - Digital Photo: Taste of San Antonio, Honorable Mention
Maggie Spara, Paisley Thomas, Marie Wakefield and Amber Batiste - PSA, Honorable Mention
Darcy Gordon-Claassens, Lexi Ratcliff, Tatumn Perry, Rachel Hamilton, Haley Pena - PSA, Excellent
Peyton Smithson, Ella Hickman - Video Sports Story, Honorable Mention
The group also won a TikTok Competition for creating the best journalism-related TikTok during the conference. And they tied for second place in Trivia Night.

Best of SNO
Fallon Head - Overcoming Obstacles
Cameron Minatrea - Dakoda Dement sets new record, chases bigger goals
Fallon Head - Families remain displaced eight months after Beryl
Sydney Ortiz - Mayor Whitmire prepares as Kingwood worries about upcoming hurricane season
Tricia Darcy - Hardin makes most of second chance after elbow surgery
Sydney Ortiz - Kicking it as a family
Marie Wakefield - Lifelong medical challenges bond mother, daughter
Cameron Minatrea - Competitive nature keeps King fighting for more
Sydney Ortiz - Pushing through pain
Preston Carpenter - Kettle corn connection
Zachary Ford - Snake showdown
Charlie Crass - HOKP podcast with Kiersten St. Julien
Marie Wakefield - HOKP podcast with Rachel Hamilton
Cameron Minatrea - Alvarez’s dream becomes Christmas book
Danielle Nalley - Students, teachers pitch programs at 8th grade night
Zachary Ford - Reyes finds football one year after moving from Mexico
Sydney Ortiz - Requenas find safety, security in U.S.
Preston Carpenter - Surviving Burnout
Sydney Ortiz - For the Kids
Pilar Retamales - JROTC, band honor Marine Corps veteran
Zachary Ford - Reyes emerges as vocal leader one year after joining team, learning English
Cameron Minatrea - Barbering class jump-starts students’ dream careers
Marie Wakefield - Swim team races against cancer in open water charity event
Sydney Ortiz - Daniel volunteers to join Tennessee
Olivia Brenner - Theater production class expands reach
Fallon Head - Potters rebuild after tree destroys home
Sydney Ortiz - Recovery tests patience in Kingwood after Hurricane Beryl’s destruction

ILPC Individual Achievement Awards
Staff Awards
Gold Star for Newspaper
Silver Star for Online News
Silver Star for Yearbook

ILPC Story of the Year (Inaugural year of award)
Sydney Ortiz, Grant McTaggart tees up courageous fight

Tops in Texas
Sydney Ortiz - Sports Feature Story
Sydney Ortiz - Feature Writing
Emily McKithern, Fallon Head, Sydney Ortiz - Photo Story
Tricia Darcy - Sports News Story
Sydney Ortiz - Sports Feature Story
Sydney Ortiz - Personal Column
Sydney Ortiz - Multimedia Package

Yearbook
1st - Emily McKithern - Sports Action Photo (Baseball sliding at home)
2nd - Cameron Minatrea - Student Life feature story
HM - Krisslyn Boyles, Sydney Ortiz, Club/Organization Focused Spread (HOSA)

Print Newspaper
1st - Fallon Head, News Feature (Transfer Trend)
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Sports Feature Story (McTaggart)
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Feature Writing (For the Kids)
1st - Olivia Brenner, Entertainment Review (Wicked)
1st - Zachary Ford, Entertainment Feature (Snake)
1st - Emily McKithern, Sydney Ortiz, Fallon Head, Photo story (pep rally back page)
1st - Marie Wakefield, Sports Column (Trophy Troubles)
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Fallon Head, Tricia Darcy, In-Depth News/Feature Package (Beryl package)
1st - Sydney Ortiz - Sports Page/Spread (Girls/Boys Soccer)
1st - Kaitlyn Sitton, Entertainment Page/Spread Design (Snake Showdown)
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Portrait (Flavia or Khloe)
2nd - Sydney Ortiz, Portrait (Flavia or Khloe)
2nd - Sydney Ortiz, Entertainment Review (Swig)
2nd - Kaitlyn Sitton, Fallon Head, Feature Page/Spread Design (Life characters and future careers)
3rd - Kaitlyn Sitton, Feature Page/Spread Design
3rd - Kaitlyn Sitton, Page One News Magazine Design (May 2024 - Graduation/Game of LIfe)
3rd - Fallon Head, General News Photo (Ella’s mom cheering photo)
3rd - Soleil Cavallo - Personal Opinion Column (Teacher need boundaries)
3rd - Marie Wakefield, Sports News Story (Swim fundraiser)
HM - Zachary Ford, Sports News Story (Chris Lora)
HM - Sydney Ortiz, Sports Feature Story (Walters)
HM - Marie Wakefield, Feature Writing (Hamilton)
HM - Cameron MInatrea, Entertainment Feature (Alvarez’s children’s book)
HM - Tricia Darcy, General News Photo (Debottis clapping in front of sign and Silver Stars)
HM - Fallon Head, Feature Photo (trio framed at NHS ceremony getting picture taken)
HM - Zachary Ford, Sports Action Photo (Anya Henry shooting)

ONLINE NEWS
1st - Tricia Darcy, Sports News Story
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Sports Feature Story
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Feature Writing
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Personal Column
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Sports Column
1st - Claire Slaydon, Student Artwork/Cartoon (Tipping or Fridge)
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Multimedia Package
1st - Sydney Ortiz, Video Story
1st - Zachary Ford, Sports Feature Photo (Kye yellow card)
2nd - Jack Coffey, Entertainment Review
2nd - Sydney Ortiz, General News Photo (Jayden Henderson at graduation)
2nd - Sydney Ortiz, Fallon Head, Photo Slideshow (graduation)
3rd - Rocco Huerta, Zachary Ford, Jacob Dinh, Tricia Darcy, Photo Slideshow
3rd - Claire Slaydon, Student Artwork/Cartoon (Tipping or Fridge)
3rd - Genesis Murillo, Infographic/Sidebar
3rd - Zachary Ford, Multimedia Package
3rd - Preston Carpenter, Entertainment Feature
3rd - Sydney Ortiz, Photo Portfolio
3rd - Charlie Crass, Podcast
3rd - Fallon Head, News Writing
HM - Marie Wakefield, News Writing
HM - Sydney Ortiz, Sports News Story
HM - Cameron Minatrea, Sports Feature Story
HM - Cameron Minatrea, Feature Writing
HM - Marie Wakefield, Entertainment Review
HM - Soleil Cavallo, Entertainment Feature
HM - Danielle Nalley, Video Story
HM - Fallon News, General News Photo (Victoria Anisi waving at graduation)
HM - Kaitlyn Sitton, Feature Photo (prom)
HM - Bishop Scott, Feature Photo (Rayden DeSouza in smores lab)
HM - Leonardo Peña, Sports Action Photo (Flavia and the free kick with the wall jumping)

Broadcast
HM - Cameron Minatrea, Hype Reel
3rd - Maggie Spara, Paisley Thomas, Marie Wakefield and Amber Batiste, PSA
HM - Sydney Ortiz, Video Feature

BEST IN TEXAS
News and Broadcast
Fallon Head - News-Feature Story, Superior
Cameron Minatrea - News-Feature Story, Excellent
Fallon Head - Feature Story, Superior
Cameron Minatrea - In-Depth Package, Superior
Marie Wakefield - Sports Game Story, Excellent
Krisslyn Boyles - Sports Feature Story, Superior
Fallon Head - Original Artwork, Superior
Kaitlyn Sitton - Alternative Copy, Superior
Kaitlyn Sitton - Newsmagazine Cover Design, Superior
Emily McKithern, Sydney Ortiz and Fallon Head - Photo Essay Page, Excellent
Fallon Head - Photo Essay Page, Excellent
Kaitlyn Sitton - Double-Page Truck Design, Excellent

Broadcast
Sydney Ortiz - News Story, Excellent
Sydney Ortiz - News Story, Honorable Mention
Danielle Nalley - Feature Story, Honorable Mention
Marie Wakefield - Interview/Conversational Podcast, Superior
Jordan Hutchinson - Interview/Conversational Podcast, Superior
Charlie Crass - Interview/Conversational Podcast, Honorable Mention

CSPA Gold Circles
1st - Kailtyn Sitton, “Quiet moment (1st photo in slideshow)
CM - Shelby Townsend, “Types of People on Valentine's Day,”

Kingwood Park High School

Accolades

2024-25 State & National Award Winners

2023-24 State & National Award Winners

2022-23 State & National Award Winners

2021-22 State & National Award Winners

2020-21 State & National Award Winners

2019-20 State & National Award Winners

2018-19 State & National Award Winners