The Associated Press released the list of finalists for its 2011 awards, and Post staffers are slated to bring home 13 plaques when the awards are handed out in May.
The Post is part of the contest's Division II, covering newspapers with a daily print circulation of 8,000 to 12,999. Entries for Division II were judged by staff members of The Dominion Post in Morgantown, W.Va., and The Statesboro Herald in Georgia.
Post finalists are:
•Bridget Mallon, finalist for Best Feature Writer
•Ali Morris, finalist for Best Graphic Designer, and who has two designs — "Stargazers" and "Occupatience" — that are finalists for Best Information Graphic and an illustration — "Plane & Simple" — that is a finalist for Best Illustration.
•Will Frasure, finalist for Best Sports Feature Writer
(Last year's Sports Editor Vince Nairn is also a finalist for work he's done for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette )
•Dustin Lennert, finalist for Best Photographer
•Michael Stainbrook, finalist for Best Sports Event Coverage for "Bobcats Win First Bowl Game in School History"
•Matthew Hatcher, finalist for Best General News Photo for "A Greater Society"
•Alex Goodlett, finalist for Best Sports Photo for "Ohio Zips Past Akron" and Best Photo Essay for "Life Lessons from Sam's Gym"
•Meg Vogel, finalist for Best Photo Essay for "Living Legend Keeps Home Close to Heart."
•The Post Photo Staff for Best Blog for the Post Photography blog, which launched in November.
The awards in actual order of finish -- first, second and third places -- will be announced at the annual APSO annual convention May 6 in Columbus. General Excellence, First Amendment and Special Recognition winners also will be announced at the meeting. No finalists are announced in advance for those categories.
Sixty-seven daily newspapers of all circulation sizes submitted 2,928 entries in the contest, which included news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2011.
