Times, Register Sportswriters Win Awards

Two sportswriters from The Times and two from the Orange County Register have placed in the top five in final judging in the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest.

In the large-paper category, Times Sports Editor Bill Dwyre finished second in feature writing and Times columnist Bill Plaschke was fourth in the same category. Register reporter Scott Reid was fourth in investigative reporting and columnist Jeff Miller was fifth in column writing.

The only other national placings from Southern California were in the middle-sized-paper categories. Bill Witz of the Long Beach Press-Telegram was second in features and Steve Hunt of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune was second in news.

Columnist Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press, who had won the column-writing contest 11 of the last 12 years, made it 12 of 13 with another first place in the large-paper category. Albom, also a three-time winner in the feature category, was third this year. Final results were announced earlier this week after preliminary winners had been announced in February.