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May 19, 2023

AHS Newspaper staff for The Talon bring home 13 awards

The Talon, the student publication of Ankeny High, competed with class C schools in the Iowa High School Press Association’s spring contest due to its size. The class C schools are known as phenomenal, impressive, groundbreaking student publications across the state that have been in the scholastic journalism for a very long time.  This did not deter the students of AHS since the publication secured a spot among the best of the best by showcasing quality work in both print and web. Judges were impressed by the phenomenal work of high school journalists across the state, and The Talon held its own alongside them. Their adviser Alissa Hansen cannot wait to see what they do next.

13 awards go to the following Talon journalists for their stellar writing and reporting:

  • First Place for Sports Story goes to seniors Gabby Risk & Sophie Rohlfing
  • Third Place for Sports Story goes to sophomore Adam Mein
  • First Place for School News Story goes to junior Vivian Wu
  • Second Place for School News Story goes to senior Sophie Rohlfing
  • Honorable Mention for School News Story goes to 2022 AHS graduate Lauren Kemp
  • Third Place for News Story goes to senior Gabby Risk for
  • Second Place for Editorial Cartoon/Comic Strip goes to junior Julien Noble
  • Third Place for Editorial Cartoon/Comic Strip goes to junior Julien Noble
  • Second Place for Reviews goes to senior Lejla Ahmetovic
  • Honorable Mention for In-Depth News Story goes to junior Julien Noble
  • Honorable Mention for Personality Profile goes to junior Vivian Wu
  • Honorable Mention for Personality Profile goes to junior Joanna Guerrero
  • Honorable Mention for Feature Story goes to senior Drew Taylor

The Talon is also among the top 15 contenders for the Iowa High School Press Association’s All-Iowa News Team. The winner of the prestigious award will be revealed during the IHSPA fall conference in October. It is indeed a remarkable achievement for The Talon to secure a spot on this list, and it speaks volumes about the newspaper’s dedication to excellence and journalistic integrity. Congratulations to the team behind The Talon!