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Salt Lake Tribune staff earns national honors for its sports coverage

From stories of football in historically polygamous Hildale to an Ironman’s inspiring tale, the Tribune earned seven top-10 honors.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Water Canyon High School football players prepare to face Grand County in their school's first football game, in Hildale on Friday, Aug. 12, 2022.

The Salt Lake Tribune earned top-10 marks in seven Associated Press Sports Editors Awards categories this week — national recognition of the work its staff did during 2022.

The Tribune staff claimed honors for the reporting, photography and page design in both its print portfolio and a special section previewing the 2022-23 Utah ski season. Tribune reporters also earned individual top-10 honors in beat reporting, breaking news, explanatory journalism and feature writing.

Beat Reporting • Kevin Reynolds placed in the top 10 for his coverage of BYU athletics, a portfolio that included in-depth reporting on the departure of defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki, a profile of quarterback Jaren Hall and a remembrance of Cougar alum Mike Leach’s time with the BYU rugby team.

Explanatory • Outdoors reporter Julie Jag explained why, after leaving Hawaii for the first time in its existence, the Ironman Triathlon came to St. George.

Short Feature Writing • During the event, Jag also shared the touching story of Kyle Brown, a Utah triathlete with ALS, who walked the final 13 miles of the race with a competitor who had considered quitting.

Long Feature Writing • Reporter Courtney Tanner’s story on the first-ever high school football team in the historically polygamous community of Hildale earned top-10 honors.

Breaking News • Tanner also received recognition for her coverage of a Utah State football player’s claims of retaliation for recording his coach’s remarks during a team meeting about sexual assault.

The Tribune competes in APSE’s second-largest classification, which includes the Kansas City Star, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Baltimore Sun, Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Charlotte Observer.