Telegraph sports staff claims state awards

The Georgia Sports Writers Association awards were released Sunday, and The Telegraph’s sports staff finished with 14 honors, including four first-place finishes, Division I, the largest circulation category.

Jason Butt and Ron Seibel each had two first-place finishes. Butt won first place for his coverage of the Georgia-Tennessee football game (Best Event Story On Deadline-Pro/College Sports) and a feature on Houston County quarterback Jake Fromm (Best Feature Or Series-Non-Deadline-High School Sports). Ron Seibel won first place for his coverage of Mary Persons’ playoff win over Blessed Trinity (Best Event Story On Deadline-High School Sports) and the issues surrounding the GHSA basketball finals in Macon (Best Sports News Story On Deadline-High School Sports)

Seibel added a second place in Best Feature Or Series-Non-Deadline-High School Sports (Goals issues of GHSA basketball finals), while Daniel Shirley won a second for his column on the Freedom of Information changes in Georgia.

Shirley also had three third places (Mercer-Furman football game, Kyle Lewis being drafted by the Seattle Mariners and for best columnist), while Butt won third place his Devon Gales’ update and a story on former Georgia player Chauncey Rivers’ second chance in junior college.

In the section categories, The Telegraph won third place in Best Sports Section, Best Sunday Sports Section and Best Special Section.

This story was originally published June 5, 2017 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Telegraph sports staff claims state awards."