Hazelwood earns first place in sports reporting

COLUMBUS — Reflector Sports Editor Mark Hazelwood earned first place for a second time in three years in Ohio's Best Journalism contest. Sponsored by the Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus Society of Professional Journalists chapters statewide, Hazelwood took first place in the Best Sports Reporting award for circulation print newspapers of 60,000 or less. Award winners were announced on Monday. Entries were for work done in 2022. Journalists who work for newspaper, magazines, radio, television, trade, online and college media in Ohio and adjacent states that have significant reach into Ohio were eligible to submit entries, as well as freelance journalists who are Ohio residents. The categories include large circulation print (60,000 or greater), small circulation print (fewer than 60,000), radio, television, digital media/freelance, trade organizations, and college. Hazelwood was recognized with the first place award for three feature stories. They included a story on the health journey of Norwalk basketball player Braedyn Demuth, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma but continued to participate in athletics. Also recognized was a feature on the family bond between Casper and Cam Caizzo and the St. Paul wrestling program after Casper won a state championship. Lastly included was Hazelwood's story on the community impact by the late Sean Tyler, a St. Paul graduate who died from occupational-related liver cancer from his years as a firefighter in Tiffin. In his 18-year writing career — including the past six at the Reflector — Hazelwood has earned 84 writing awards from the Associated Press, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists and the OPSWA. He placed first in the SPJ contest in 2021 and earned second in 2022. Ohio's Best Journalism is the only Ohio competition that honors journalists who fulﬁll the SPJ mission: defense of the First Amendment, support of literacy, resistance to censorship, advocacy for openness of public records and meetings, media self-criticism and community service. The SPJ is the nation's most broad-based journalism organization and has nearly 10,000 members. Journalists from the Top of the Rockies' Contest served as judges. The winners will be recognized in Columbus on Aug. 19.