Courier finishes 3rd in 2025 State Press Contest; Courier Sports receives top honors
COURIER 3rd IN STATE CONTEST; NETS 3 TOP HONOR
SCOTT WINFREE / COURIER Courier Sports’ Shea Haile displays the UT-TPA Press Awards Best Sports Coverage and Best Sports Writing awards garnered by the Carthage Courier.
The Carthage Courier received 11 total awards, including three First Place designations, and finished in 3rd Place in Division I from newspapers from across Tennessee — in the 2025 Tennessee State Press Contest Awards held June 28 in Memphis.
The awards are sponsored by the University of Tennessee (UT) and Tennessee Press Association (TPA) with newspapers competing from among five divisions (based on combined weekly circulations) with points awarded for each contest entry. General Excellence honors were based on the newspaper’s total points in their division. This year’s entries were judged by members of the Arkansas Press Association.
The Courier’s 3rd Place result for General Excellence in Division I comes after receiving 1st Place in 2024 and 2023 while finishing 2nd in 2022.
First Place Awards came in the categories of Best Sports Coverage, Best Sports Writing and Local Features while Second Place Awards were for Best Sports Photograph and Make-Up & Appearance.
“The Best Sports Coverage honor is the second consecutive and fourth all-time for the Courier and the First Place for Best Sports Writing is the first-ever honor for our publication in that category,” noted Courier publisher Scott Winfree. “Courier sports journalist Shea Haile is in her ninth year at the helm of our sports department and these honors speak volumes about her professionalism and integrity in covering the various sports in our county.”
The Courier’s First Place in Local Features marks the fifth all-time in that category and came with glowing remarks from the judge: “Your entry exemplifies the highest standards of local feature journalism. I loved the compelling stories, vivid photos and intriguing page layouts. This entry truly demonstrates how local features can elevate a publication’s reader appeal and community connection. Congratulations on a well-deserved first place finish.”
COURIER SPORTS RECEIVES TOP HONORS
Shea Haile Courier Sports
The Carthage Courier sports staff was recognized as one of the state’s best at the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Press Association’s State Contest.
In Division I, the Courier took home the top prize for Best Sports Coverage and Best Sports Writing.
The first place finish in sports coverage is the second consecutive for the Carthage Courier. The Best Sports Writing award was the first time Courier Sports has received the honor.
The 2025 UT-TPA State Contest was hosted in Memphis on Saturday, June 28.
The press awards included 1,113 entries from 71 publications across the state.
Contribitors to the 2024 award winning submissions included sports journalist and photographer Shea Haile, writer Terry Collins and outdoor columnist Larry Woody.
Photographers included Rachel Bennett (GHS football), Rich Martin (SCHS football) and Melissa Vance (SCHS baseball).
READ MORE STATE PRESS CONTEST COVERAGE IN THIS WEEK’S COURIER
