Annual Writing Contests

2007 ASWA Contest Winners

Printable Contest Rules

Best Sports Story, Writing On A Deadline, Professional Or College Event
Co-Runner-Up
Paul Gattis, The Huntsville Times
- Nick Saban Arrives

Co-Runner-Up
Ray Melick, The Birmingham News
- Samford Baseball

Winner
Gareth Clary, Mobile Press-Register
- US Open

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Best Sports Story, Writing On A Deadline, Prep Or Other Amateur
Runner-Up
Bran Strickland, The Anniston Star
- Weaver Coach Darrell Hamby Guides Team To Area Championship On Same Day His Mother Was Struck And Killed By Her Own Car

Winner
Jon Solomon, The Birmingham News
- Hoover High School Report

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Best Column, 3 Columns Written In A Seven Consecutive Issue Period and Two From A Seven Day Period, Two At Large
Runner-Up
Kevin Scarbinsky, The Birmingham News
-Courtney Taylor; Nick Saban; People Owe Mal Moore An Apology; Nick Saban

Co-Winner
Ray Melick, The Birmingham News
-Big Ten Verses SEC; Bobby Bowden; South Florida 's Football Team; Former Alabama Coach Dennis Franchione

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Best Football Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Kevin Scarbinsky, The Birmingham News
-Agent Jimmy Sexton

Winner
Ian R. Rapoport and Kevin Scarbinsky, The Birmingham News
-Chasing Saban

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Best Basketball Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Tommy Hicks, Mobile Press-Register
-Pelphrey

Winner
Jon Solomon, The Birmingham News
-24 Hours Of Madness

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Best Baseball Feature Without A Deadline
Co Runner-Up
Mark Edwards, Decatur Daily
- The Local Ties Of The New York Yankees' Starting Catcher

Co Runner-Up
Doug Segrest, The Birmingham News
-'64 Barons

Winner
Paul Gattis, Huntsville Times
- Baseball's Changing Color

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Best Track and Field or Cross Country Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Solomon Crenshaw, The Birmingham News
-Don Kern

Winner
Joe Medley, The Anniston Star
- 90 Year Old And 4 Year Old Chase State Records In Local 5-K

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Best Tennis Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Bill Bryant, The Huntsville Times
-Have Racket Will Travel

Winner
Mark Edwards, Decatur Daily
- Three Tennis Playing Sisters In High School

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Best Golf Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Brooke Milam, Decatur Daily
- Disable High School Golfer

Winner
Kevin Scarbinsky, The Birmingham News
- Mac McLendon

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Best Wrestling/Boxing Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Gareth Clary, The Mobile Register
-Roy Jones

Winner
Gregg DeWalt, Times Dailey
-Feature On Tough Man Competition

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Best Auto Racing Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Mike Bolton, The Birmingham News
-Anti-Smoking Campaign

Winner
Mark Inabinett, Mobile Press-Register
-Jeff Gordon

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Best Outdoors Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Jeff Dute, Mobile Press-Register
-Fisherman Tows In Winner

Winner
Mike Bolton, The Birmingham News
-Shelly Whitlock

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Best General Sports Feature Without A Deadline
Runner-Up
Doug Segrest and Kevin Scarbinsky, The Birmingham News
-SEC Integration

Winner
Ray Melick and Kevin Scarbinsky, The Birmingham News
-SEC Influence

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Best Enterprise Story
Co Runner-Up
John Pruett, Huntsville Times
-Radical Formula Working at Vandy

Co Runner-Up
Tommy Deas, The Tuscaloosa News
-Bobby Bowden

Winner
Jon Solomon, Andrew Gribble and Ray Melick, The Birmingham News
- Birmingham Athletics

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Best Investigative Story
Runner-Up
Mike Herndon and Rena Havner, Mobile Press-Register
-Ryan Williams

Winners
Jon Solomon and Erin Stock, The Birmingham News
- Hoover High School

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Headlines - Four Headlines with First Six Paragraphs Of Story Submitted
Runner-Up
Mark Heim, Mobile Press-Register
-Clay Achin
-I Spy
-With Rooster
-Bags To Riches

Winner
Mark Inabinett, Mobile Press-Register
-Surgeon Cuts
-Edwards Cements
-Tuberville Mum
-Here's The Kicker

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Best Sports Layout (Submitted In Triplicate)
Runner-Up
Mobile Press-Register

Winner
The Birmingham News

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Best Supplement or Special Edition (Four Originals Should Be Submitted)
Runner-Up
Mobile Press Register

Winner
The Birmingham News

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Sweepstakes Award (Herby Kirby Memorial Award)
Best Story From All Categories Above
Winner
Jon Solomon and Erin Stock, The Birmingham News
-- Hoover High School

All-Time Herby Kirby Award Winners
2007 Christopher Walsh and Erin Stock, The Birmingham News
2006 Christopher Walsh, The Tuscaloosa News
2005 Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times
2004 Phillip Marshall, Huntsville Times
2003 Jimmy Creed, Anniston Star
2002 Mike Bolton, Bob Carlton, Doug Segrest, Birmingham News
2001 Jimmy Creed, Anniston Star
2000 Mary Colurso, Doug Segrest and Mike Bolton, Birmingham News
1999 Tommy Hicks, Mobile Register
1998 Ted Miller, Mobile Register
1997 Richard Scott, Birmingham Post-Herald
1996 Tommy Hicks, Mobile Register
1995 Phillip Marshall, Huntsville Times
1994 Mike Marshall, Huntsville Times
1993 Mike Marshall, Huntsville Times
1992 Mike Marshall, Huntsville Times
1991 Bill Lumpkin, Birmingham Post-Herald
1990 Ray Melick/Richard Scott, Birmingham Post-Herald
1989 Wayne Martin, Birmingham News
1988 Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News
1987 Ron Ingram, Birmingham News
1986 John Pruett, Huntsville Times
1985 Bob Mayes, Huntsville Times
1984 Chuck Finder, Birmingham News
1983 Wayne Martin, Birmingham News
1982 Paul Finebaum/Roger Shuler, Birmingham Post-Herald
1981 Bill Lumpkin/Paul Finebaum/Rubin Grant, Birmingham Post-Herald
1980 Bill Lumpkin, Birmingham Post-Herald
1979 Al Browning, Tuscaloosa News
1978 John Pruett, Huntsville Times
1977 Al Browning, Tuscaloosa News
1976 Mike McKenzie, Tuscaloosa News
1975 Paul Cox - Opelika-Auburn News
1974 Wayne Hester, Anniston Star

Herby Kirby Award by Paper
Huntsville Times (9)
John Pruett 1978, 1986; Bob Mayes 1985; Mike Marshall 1992, 1993, 1994; Phillip Marshall 1995, 2004; Mark McCarter 2005

Birmingham News (8)
Christopher Walsh and Erin Stock. 2007; Mike Bolton, Bob Carlton, Doug Segrest, 2002; Mary Colurso, Doug Segrest and Mike Bolton, 2000; Wayne Martin 1983, 1989; Chuck Finder 1984; Ron Ingram 1987, Kevin Scarbinsky 1988

Birmingham Post-Herald (6)
Bill Lumpkin 1980, 1991; Paul Finebaum, Bill Lumpkin, Rubin Grant 1981; Paul Finebaum, Roger Shuler 1982; Ray Melick, Richard Scott 1990; Richard Scott 1997

Anniston Star (3)
Wayne Hester 1974; Jimmy Creed 2001, 2003

Tuscaloosa News (3)
Mike McKenzie 1976; Al Browning 1977, 1979;

Mobile Press-Register (3)
Tommy Hicks 1996, 1999; Ted Miller, 1998

Opelika-Auburn News (1)
Paul Cox 1975

The Tuscaloosa News (1)
Christopher Walsh 2006

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