Rockwood Journalists Earn Awards at State Competition
![Rockwood students smile while celebrating awards won at a state journalism conference.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1774970845/rsdmoorg/yefe61flmcusbczzuklo/MIJAAwards2026forweb.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1774970845/rsdmoorg/yefe61flmcusbczzuklo/MIJAAwards2026forweb.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1774970845/rsdmoorg/yefe61flmcusbczzuklo/MIJAAwards2026forweb.png","width":680}])
Rockwood Journalists Earn Awards at State Competition
Student journalists from all four Rockwood high schools earned awards and recognition at the Missouri Interscholastic Journalism Association (MIJA) JDay event and competition at the University of Missouri in Columbia on March 25, including All Missouri and Superior ratings and MIJA Honor Roll mention.
In total, Rockwood students from Eureka's EHS-hub news outlet and Eurekana yearbook; Lafayette's Lancer Feed news outlet and Legend yearbook; Marquette's Messenger/MHSNews outlet; and Rockwood Summit's Talon newspaper, Pinnacle yearbook and KFTN 92.7 FM radio station earned 23 All Missouri honors, 13 Superior ratings, 21 Excellent ratings and 20 honorable mentions across a variety of mediums.
A total of 23 Rockwood students also earned placement on the MIJA Honor Roll, recognizing students who have contributed to their school’s journalism program for multiple years while also maintaining high academic achievement.
Eureka High Associate Principal Dr. Sarah Goodman was also presented with the Administrator of the Year award, honoring administrators who support journalism in their schools.
In addition, Marquette seniors Avery Ehrhart, Samantha Perz, Morgan Siegel and Zoey Srote are among around 1,500 students nationally - and fewer than 150 from Missouri - to earn this year's National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Leadership Award in Student Journalism. This honor is for high school student journalists who serve with distinction for at least two years on the staff of an NSPA-member broadcast, literary arts magazine, newspaper/newsmagazine, specialty magazine, website or yearbook and demonstrate journalistic excellence and staff leadership while maintaining high ethical standards.
Congratulations to these outstanding Rockwood student journalists! Read below for more information about Rockwood students' awards.
MIJA JDay - All Missouri (243 total from around the state)
- Suham Alhamad, Rockwood Summit, Student Life Photo
- Cole Auiler, Avery Pitt and Morgan Siegel, Marquette, Online Story Package
- Clara Cottle, Rockwood Summit, Radio News Package
- Clara Cottle, Jake Jansen, Megan Lockey, Amanda Mehrtens, Bobbi Mormino, Natalie Russo, Audrey Struckhoff and Mia Sutton, Rockwood Summit, Radio Sports Package
- Avery Ehrhart, Marquette, Broadcast News Feature
- Avery Ehrhart, Kate Lorenz and Vihaan Madhavan, Marquette, Online Story Package
- Madison Hill, Rockwood Summit, Sports Action Photo
- Kate Lorenz, Marquette, Online Story Package
- Vihaan Madhavan, Marquette, Broadcast Feature Package
- Avery Martin, Rockwood Summit, Traditional Yearbook Student Life Spread
- Avery Martin, Rockwood Summit, Yearbook Sports Writing
- Samantha Perz, Marquette, Online Story Package
- Caleb Pickens, Eureka, News Photo
- Morgan Siegel and Zoey Srote, Marquette, In-Depth News Story
- Zoey Srote, Marquette, Newsmagazine Cover Page Design
- Zoey Srote and Siya Taneja, Marquette, In-Depth News Story
- Tracy Vu and Aubrey Warren, Rockwood Summit, Yearbook Mod Design
- Marquette Messenger, Newspaper/Newsmagazine
- Marquette Messenger, Online
- Marquette Messenger Staff, Editorial/Op-Ed
- MHSNews, Marquette, Broadcast Announcements
- Rockwood Summit Pinnacle, Yearbook
- Rockwood Summit Talon, Newspaper/Newsmagazine
MIJA JDay - Superior rating (248 total from around the state)
- Vivian Akers, Rockwood Summit, Newspaper Sports Feature/Reaction Photo
- Ben Devine and Kaden Klages, Eureka, Radio/Podcast Talk Show
- Mariana Julius, Rockwood Summit, On-site Photojournalism Contest
- Mariana Julius, Rockwood Summit, Yearbook Sports Feature/Reaction Photo
- Mariana Julius, Rockwood Summit, Yearbook Sports Spread Design
- Avery Martin, Rockwood Summit, Yearbook Sports Spread Design
- Kris Miller and Elyse Rhodes, Marquette, Broadcast Feature Package
- Anna Mowry, Eureka, Student Life Photo
- Audrey Thomas, Lafayette, Online Story Package (Opinion/Editorial/Review)
- Aubrey Warren, Rockwood Summit, Yearbook Student Life Spread Design
- Julia Worley, Rockwood Summit, Newspaprt Sports Action Photo
- Eurekana, Eureka, Yearbook
- MHSNews, Marquette, Broadcast Announcements
MIJA JDay - Honor Roll (171 from around the state)
- Marleigh Allen, Eureka
- Tessa Bauer, Eureka
- Anna Brotherton, Eureka
- Julia Coen, Eureka
- Avery Ehrhart, Marquette
- Trevi Guest, Rockwood Summit
- Kenna Kohl, Eureka
- Ella Lindsay, Eureka
- Lucy Manche, Eureka
- Avery Martin, Rockwood Summit
- Anna Mowry, Eureka
- Samantha Perz, Marquette
- Abby Peterson, Rockwood Summit
- Justin Rudolphi, Eureka
- Natalie Russo, Rockwood Summit
- Morgan Siegel, Marquette
- Karlie Smith, Eureka
- Zoey Srote, Marquette
- Mia Sutton, Rockwood Summit
- Ash Thebeau, Eureka
- Audrey Thomas, Lafayette
- Audrey Venneman, Rockwood Summit
- Tracy Vu, Rockwood Summit
NSPA Leadership Award in Student Journalism (around 1,500 from around the country; 143 from Missouri)
- Avery Ehrhart, Marquette
- Samantha Perz, Marquette
- Morgan Siegel, Marquette
- Zoey Srote, Marquette
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