Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: The Ann Arbor News Entry Title: Did Bo know? A fight for the legendary Michigan football coach’s legacy Entry Credit: Aaron McMann Judge Comment: Balanced, well-written story that doesn't take sides. Bo Schembechler's legacy is complicated, and it was refreshing to see the author resist the temptation to play judge and jury. Great interviews. Aaron obviously spent a lot of time on this story.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: The Muskegon Chronicle Entry Title: Michigan family mourns death of son they say was pushed to the breaking point by stop in high school sports Entry Credit: Scott DeCamp Judge Comment: Strong story examining one of the hidden issues of the pandemic. Scott obviously gained the trust of the family, vital to telling this story. Impressive that the story was published two weeks after the teen's death. Nice job exploring the state's stance and the "Let Them Play" movement.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: The Bay City Times Entry Title: Forget the ceremonial at-bat, injured senior dashes to first for final moment of glory Entry Credit: Lee Thompson Judge Comment:
Good story with enough twists to set it apart from the cliche injury comeback tale. As the story went on, Taylor became someone to cheer for.