Student media from Wayne State College won 36 Golden Leaf Awards at the Nebraska Collegiate Media Association’s spring banquet held this past weekend at Hastings College.

The awards, which honor the work of student journalists at the state’s small colleges, allowed the Wayne Stater and 91.9 FM

The Cat to finish second in the “general excellence” category of their respective newspaper and radio categories and KWSC-TV third in television.

Hastings College won best overall in television and radio, while the Chadron State Eagle finished first in college newspapers.

The Wayne Stater’s coverage of last fall’s tornado earned a first place in the category for special edition.

“Outstanding coverage from a variety of angles throughout this special tornado edition,” the judge commented. “Way to get everyone on staff involved.”

Newspaper judges for the Golden Leaf Awards included staff members from the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Colorado Springs Gazette and Topeka Capital-Journal while the judges for TV and radio were provided for by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

WSC winners in the newspaper category: Wayne Stater Editorial Staff, first place, series/special section/edition and overall layout and design; Lauren Deisley, first place, headline writing and honorable mention in investigative/in-depth reporting;Kendall Uhrich, first place, investigative/in-depth reporting; Rich Rhoden, first place, sports reporting, third place and honorable mention in sports photography; Calyn Dunklau, first place, special graphics/infographics; Jennifer Connell, first place, feature photograph; Debbie Hernandez, second place, feature writing; Derek Pufahl, second place, hard news/sports reporting; Kella Rodiek, second place, page-one layout and design; Megan Tomasiewicz, third place, review writing and third place, headline writing; Seth Miles, third place, investigative/in-depth reporting.

WSC winners in the radio category: Connor Ryan, first place, radio event sportcast; Megan Kneif and Sarah Lentz, first place, radio newscast; Alazha Cootnz, Matthew Ostry, Morgan Ruterbories, Nathan Seaman, and Cody Talbott, first place, radio promotional series; Matthew Ostry, second place, radio promotional announcement; Steve Marik, second place, radio promotional series; Natalie Barber, second place, radio public affairs; Morgan Ruterbories, second place, public service announcement series and third place, radio sports story; Natalie Barber, third place, public service announcement; Cody Talbott, third place, public service announcement series; Nathan Seaman, honorable mention, radio promotional announcement and honorable mention, public service announcement series.

WSC winners in the television category: Natalie Barber and Nathan Seaman, first place, entertainment: game show or talk show; Matthew Ostry and Marie Ostry, first place, short film; Laura Burtwistle, Alazha Coontz, and Trevor Reeves, first place, public affairs; Natalie Barber, second place, commercial; Mark Vrbicky and Sam Roh, second place, entertainment: game show or talk show; Natalie Barber and Nathan Seaman, second place, short film; M. Reagan Carriere, third place, promotional; Grant Otten, honorable mention, entertainment: music video; Matthew Ostry and Marie Ostry, honorable mention, entertainment: miscellaneous