Times Sports Makes Top 10 in Daily and Sunday Sections

The Times placed in the top 10 in daily and Sunday sports sections and also made the semifinals in two writing categories in the annual Associated Press Sports Editors contest. Results were announced Wednesday following the judging in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The other papers making the top 10 category in both daily and Sunday among the largest circulation papers in the country were the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram and the New York Daily News. The Dallas Morning News also made the top 10 listings in Special Sections, becoming the only large paper in the country to make all three. The Times’ placed in the honorable-mention category in Special Sections.

The Times’ two writing top-10 finishes--section judging was final, writing final placings will be done next month by top editors around the country--were Mike DiGiovanna in event stories and the enterprise team of Lonnie White, Sam Farmer, Alan Abrahamson, Diane Pucin, Justin Heckert, Rob Fernas, Mike Penner, Elliott Teaford, Chris Dufresne, David Wharton and Lance Pugmire.

DiGiovanna’s entry was his game story from Game 2 of the Yankee-Diamondback World Series. The enterprise entry was a series of stories about the rash of deaths of football players this summer, from the high school to pro level.

Other large-circulation area papers in the top 10 included the San Diego Union-Tribune in special sections.

The L.A. Daily News, in the 100,000-250,000 circulation category, was in the top 10 in Sunday and daily.

Other area writers making top 10 lists included: Large papers (250,000 and above), Ed Graney, San Diego Union-Tribune, game stories; papers 40,000-100,000, the late Terry Johnson of the Antelope Valley Press, game stories; Woody Woodburn of the Torrance Daily Breeze, columns, and Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star, enterprise; in papers 100,000-250,000, Howard Beck of the L.A. Daily News, game stories, and Bob Keisser of the Long Beach Press-Telegram, columns.