Tower yearbook nabs fourth consecutive Pacemaker as student media dominates spring awards

Northwest Missouri State University’s Tower yearbook won its fourth consecutive Pacemaker award from Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) this spring, and the institution’s student media captured a total of 57 awards at spring media conferences. 

“What our students accomplish in student media is truly unmatched nationally,” Steven Chappell, the director of Student Media at Northwest, said. “This year, our students brought home an unprecedented 136 awards from national and regional media conventions and contests. Our faculty are among the best at teaching and preparing our students to be ‘career ready, day one,’ and the recognition our student media capture proves that, year after year.”

Tower was one of just six college yearbooks produced in 2024 to be honored in March with the prestigious Pacemaker at the ACP Spring National College Media Conference. First published in 1917, Tower annually documents campus life and personalities through writing, photography and design.

Both the Tower yearbook, now a 14-time Pacemaker recipient, and The Northwest Missourian student newspaper, a two-time Pacemaker recipient, are members of the ACP Hall of Fame.

Additionally, Missourian Photo Editor Aaron Hare, a senior from Overland Park, Kansas, studying a digital media major with a content strategy emphasis, was named Photojournalist of the Year by the Missouri College Media Association (MCMA) at its convention on April 12 in Warrensburg, Missouri. Northwest students have captured 12 of the last 13 Photojournalist of the Year honors. 

The Missourian captured 28 other awards at the MCMA convention, including 10 first-place honors across various categories. 

“The Missourian is such a special place, and I am so proud of my staff for all of their hard work,” said Missourian Editor-in-Chief Savannah Athy-Sedbrook, a native of Augusta, Kansas, who graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in digital media with a content strategy emphasis. She also served as MCMA secretary for 2024-25.

Tower yearbook received 14 honors at the MCMA convention in the Yearbook/Magazine category, including four first-place honors. The yearbook also swept the Spread Design category. 

KNWT-TV and KZLX-LP FM earned eight awards at the Missouri Broadcast Educators Association convention, hosted jointly with MCMA this spring. The radio station received five awards, including two first-place honors. The TV station won three awards, including one first-place award. 

Additionally, KNWT received three regional Emmy awards in March at the Midwest Regional Emmy Awards. Tyrell Childress, a senior from Kansas City, Missouri, and Avery Andell, a senior from Oak Grove, Missouri, each won an individual Emmy, and they jointly won an Arts, Entertainment and Cultural Affairs Emmy for their program “Now You Know.” Childress and Andell are mass media majors with a broadcast production emphasis.

Northwest won two honors at the 2025 Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts contest, announced in March. Tanner DeHaven, a senior from Weston, Missouri, studying a mass media major with a broadcast production emphasis, placed first for Student Audio-Air Personality. Childress, Andell, Alexander Snodderly and Katie Byrd placed second with “Now You Know” in Film and Video. Snodderly, a native of St. Joseph, Missouri, graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in mass media with a broadcast production emphasis, and Byrd, a native of Kearney, Missouri, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mass media with a multimedia journalism emphasis.

Hannah Claywell, who will be The Missourian's editor-in-chief for the 2025-26 academic year, was re-elected as student president of MCMA for the next academic year; a senior from St. Joseph, Missouri, she is studying a mass media major with a multimedia journalism emphasis. Dakota Oswalt, who will be managing editor of The Missourian for the coming academic year, was elected secretary; she is a junior from Atlantic, Iowa, studying a mass media major with a multimedia journalism emphasis. Chappell was named MCMA’s faculty advisor for 2025-26.

A complete listing of student media awards Northwest organizations received this spring is provided below.

Missouri College Media Association/Missouri Broadcast Educator Association Awards

The Northwest Missourian

• Photojournalist of the Year: Aaron Hare
• News Writing:
  • Hannah Claywell, “Shooting at Super Bowl parade impacts Northwest students,” second place
  • Dakota Oswalt, “Local McDonald’s location affected by E. coli outbreak, other public health alerts impact state,” honorable mention
• Editorial Writing: Editorial Board, “In our own backyard,” third place
• Sports Writing: Wesley Miller, “Mankato madness,” second place
• Investigative Reporting:
  • Hannah Claywell, “Campus reports show six cases of assault and harassment since Sept. 25,” third place
  • Anna Bailey, “Students express concerns of alleged mold in residence halls, no confirmed cases,” honorable mention
• Column: Sidney Lowry, “Yes, I’m fat, but doctors still need to listen to me,” honorable mention
• Sports Column: Andrew Clark, “What winter break is like as a Northwest baseball player,” first place
• Entertainment Review: Zoey Smith, “’Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ causes disappointment, leaves much to be desired,” second place
• News Photography:
  • Aaron Hare, “Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon - Mo Lambda Chapter scream as they greet new members during Bid Day Sept. 11,” first place
  • Ally Jeffries, “Trick-or-Treating On-Campus,” third place
• Sports Photography:
  • Aaron Hare, “Northwest men’s track and field sophomore Vashon Riggins competes in the men’s 60-meter hurdles at the Bearcat Invite Feb. 3,” first place
  • Nathan Noda, “Maryville boys soccer senior striker Tucker Wilmes heads a ball to a teammate during the Spoofhounds’ 4-3 win against Savannah Oct. 21,” third place
• Political/Editorial Cartoon: Anna Case, “Third-party voting,” second place
• Nonpolitical/Entertainment Cartoon: Anna Case, “Parasocial relationships are not healthy, you cannot put celebrities on a pedestal,” honorable mention
• Information Graphic: Nicole Bowman, “Students express concerns of alleged mold in residence halls, no confirmed cases,” first place
• Story Illustration: Julianna Lawrence, “Are we safe?” first place
• Page One Design:
  • Savannah Athy-Sedbrook, “Long road ahead,” first place
  • Savannah Athy-Sedbrook, “Reduce, reuse, recycle,” second place
• Editorial/Op-Ed Page: Savannah Athy-Sedbrook, “In our own backyard,” first place
• Sports Page: Savannah Athy-Sedbrook, “Shut down,” first place
• Feature Page: Julianna Lawrence, “Are we safe?” first place
• Website: Missourian staff, honorable mention
• Best Overall Newspaper: Missourian staff, third place
• Sweepstakes: Missourian staff, second place
• Advertising Design
  • Abby Miller, “Maryville Florists,” first place
  • Grace Lohman, “Sunrise Dispensary,” second place
  • Grace Lohman, “Total Image,” third place

Tower

• Feature Photograph:
  • Hailey Sandfort, “Rush Hour,” first place
  • Hailey Sandfort, “Sigma Kappa Rules,” second place
• Sports Photograph:
  • Cassie Ford, “Let’s Go,” first place
  • Matt Rapp, “Bearcat First Down,” second place
• Environmental Portrait:
  • Cassie Ford, “Shay Malone,” first place
  • Cassie  Ford, “Olivia Rubsam,” third place
• General Feature Story:
  • Kim Pool, “Maryville Hidden Gems,” honorable mention
  • Kasidy Wilcox, “Winter Wonderland,” honorable mention
• Sports Story: Kim Pool, “Cross Country Overview," second place
• Spread Design:
  • Nicole Dietzenbach, “Clothesline Project,” first place
  • Cassie Ford, “Men’s Basketball,” second place
  • Nicole Dietzenbach, “On the Air,” third place
• Illustration/Infographic:
  • Tori Swank, “Northwest By the Numbers,” third place
  • Cassie Ford, “Homecoming Awards,” honorable mention

KNWT-TV and KZLX-LP FM

• Audio, AirCheck:
  • Tanner DeHaven, “Rock The Clock,” second place
  • Gavin Jones, “Air Check,” third place
• Audio, Play-by-Play: Wiley Ray and Tanner DeHaven, Northwest Missouri State vs. Central Missouri Football, first place
• Audio, Station Promo: Khale Knox, KZLX station imaging, second place
• Audio, News Story: Gavin Jones, hard news Dec. 4, first place,
• Video, Multicamera Live Sports Event: Blake Rizner, Killian Beck and Gabe Chadwick, Northwest vs. Nebraska Kearney live production, second place
• Video, Commercial/Promo: Tyrell Childress and Avery Andell, “Now You Know” commercial, third place
• Video, Special Programs: Jonas Pelot, “Gentoo,” first place

Midwest Regional Emmy Awards

• Arts, Entertainment and Cultural Affairs: Tyrell Childress and Avery Andell, “Jack O’Lantern,” “Now You Know”
• Editor: Tyrell Childress, editor reel
• Non-Fiction Short Form: Avery Andell, “Raku,” “Untold Stories,” honorable mention

Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts

• Student Audio – Air Personality: Tanner DeHaven, first place,
• Film & Video – Instructional: Tyrell Childress, Avery Andell, Alexander Snodderly and Katie Byrd, for the Oct. 30 “Now You Know” episode, second place