Two Daily Star staff members were honored with awards, announced at the spring convention of the New York Press Association.
The convention was held April 26-27 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs.
Sports Writer Drew Epstein won first place for sports feature in Division II with a story about a family that took a cross-country baseball-themed trip, finishing in Cooperstown.
A judge said of Epstein’s entry: “What a great story! How many sports fanatics want to go on a trip like this with our family? The reporter allowed those involved to tell their own story and didn’t try to overwrite it. Very well done.”
Sports Editor Nick Richardson won second place in the same category for his story about Teddy DeGraw, a former Oneonta baseball standout who signed a professional baseball contract with the Seattle Mariners organization.
Judges’ notes on Richardson’s entry said: “I thought this reporter did a good job of describing what is, probably, the biggest day of McGraw’s life. Sometimes it is difficult to capture those emotions for the reader. Well done.”
Daily Star Editor Robert Cairns congratulated the pair.
“Nick and Drew work hard every day to track the results of our local sports competitions and create an informative sports section,” he said. “They don’t often get the opportunity to write feature stories, but these awards are well-deserved recognition of their skill and commitment to their jobs.”
There were 142 news organizations represented in the NYPA Better Newspapers Contest, submitting 2,530 entries.