WCS high school TV/Film programs won eight first-place awards at the 2023 Tennessee High School Press Association (THSPA) competition.
The winners were announced March 6 at Lipscomb University. Brentwood and Independence high schools tied for first place in the Best Newscast category. Brentwood High’s TV/Film teacher is Sloan Ashworth, and Independence High’s teacher is Matt Balzer.
“I am so proud of the entire news crew,” said Balzer. “To put together a professional news broadcast each week is a difficult task, and they pull it off. This award is an acknowledgment of everything they have worked for, and I am excited for them.”
Brentwood High’s Isabella Supinksi, Kyle Jordan and Sydney Loyd also won the Best News Package category.
From Franklin High, Anna Raye Jones won first place for the second consecutive year in the Best Videographer category. Her teacher is Keri Thompson. Her classmates, Blais Cameron and Emmaline Warden, tied for first place for Best Public Service Announcement (PSA).
“I am so proud of all our finalists this year,” said Thompson. “Anna Raye has a natural gift of filming and editing. She works tremendously hard and does an excellent job of capturing and telling the stories of our school. Blais and Emmaline are two dedicated and passionate seniors. They had this creative idea about a helmet safety PSA and immediately went to production. It was effective, well-edited and had a unique split screen format.”
Ravenwood High’s Jack Foster tied with Franklin High for Best PSA. His teachers are Megan Sanchez and Chelsea Kite.
“RHS TV is proud of our student leaders for their creativity and passion in this field,” Sanchez said. “These students have grown the program exponentially and set the bar very high for future students.”
Page High’s Hayley Zehnder won first place in the Best Commercial category, and Lincoln Campbell won first place for Best Sports Video. Their teacher is David Holt.
“I’m very proud of our THSPA winners and the entire PHS Studios crew,” said Holt. “They’ve worked hard this year, and it’s wonderful to see their efforts recognized and rewarded. The future of the broadcasting industry looks bright.”
The students who were recognized at the competition are all listed below.
Newspaper
Best Photograph
- Second: Kaelyn Hemingway, Page High
Yearbook
Best Clubs/Organizations Copy
- Second: Emily Kitch, Independence High
Best Organizations/Club Photograph
- Third: Nat Finley, Independence High
Best Sports Photograph
- Third: Kali Krawcyk, Page High
Best Student Life Photograph
- Third: Kali Krawcyk, Page High
Literary Magazine
Best Overall Literary Magazine
- Third: The Walking Shadow, Brentwood High
Multimedia
Best Audio for Video Project
- Third: Brandon Pearlman, Ravenwood High
Best Video or Documentary
- Second: Grace Costantine and Ashlyn Witt, Brentwood High
Best Sports Video
- First: Lincoln Campbell, Page High
- Second: Courtney Stanley and Brett Michaelson, Brentwood High
- Third: Matthew Bowen, Ravenwood High
Best Music Video
- Second: Hinton Lanier and Ethan Whitfield, Franklin High
- Honorable Mention: Katherine Kyle, Mackenzie Thompson, Quinn Walker and Valeria Santamaria, Independence High
Broadcast
Best Television Reporter
- Second: Hayley Zehnder, Page High
- Third: Lydia Welborn, Franklin High
Best Videographer
- First: Anna Raye Jones, Franklin High
- Second: Olivia Freeman, Ravenwood High
Best Public Service Announcement
- First: Blais Cameron and Emmaline Warden, Franklin High
- First: Jack Foster, Ravenwood High
- Third: Katherin Kyle, Mackenzie Thompson, Valeria Santamaria and Quinn Walker, Independence High
Best Commercial
- First: Hayley Zehnder, Page High
- Third: Lily Buchanan and Clare Corney, Franklin High
Best Short Feature Story
- Second: Trip Scoutten and Leyton Petty, Ravenwood High
- Honorable Mention: Owen Coulam and Avery Allen, Brentwood High
Best News Package
- First: Isabella Supinksi, Kyle Jordan and Sydney Loyd, Brentwood High
- Second: Aubree Mullican, Brentwood High
Best Sports Package
- Third: Brett Michaelson, Brentwood High
- Third: Anna Raye Jones, Franklin High
Best Coverage of a Live Sports Event
- Third: WBHS 9 Football Crew, Brentwood High
Best Coverage of a Non-Live Sports Event
- Second: Ted Gicewicz, Ansh Parihar, Mia Aston, James West and Nolan Brown, Page High
Best Newscast/News Magazine
- First: WBHS 9 Level IV News Team, Brentwood High
- First: IHS News Staff, Independence High
Mark Madison Best Television Station
- Second: Brentwood High
- Third: Independence High
