IndyStar Sports wins 'Grand Slam' in APSE contest

IndyStar won 10 national Top 10 awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors annual judging of sports sections, including the coveted “Grand Slam” — Top 10 digital site, daily section, Sunday section and special section.

The winning special section was the Race Day section for the 100th Indianapolis 500. IndyStar also received a Top 10 Project award for its Indy 500 coverage by reporters Curt Cavin, Zak Keefer, Will Higgins, columnist Gregg Doyel and Assistant Sports Editor Matt Glenesk.

Doyel also was  honored as a Top 10 columnist for a selection of five columns, ranging from his personal advice to Duke basketball player Grayson Allen to his criticism of the NFL for how it handled the doomed Hall of Fame Game at fans’ expense. Top 10 finishes in writing categories will later be broken down from first to 10th place.

Reporters Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia and Tim Evans finished Top 10 in investigative reporting for their continuing series about sexual abuses within USA Gymnastics. The investigation has revealed that USA Gymnastics had a long-standing policy of not reporting all allegations of sexual abuse by coaches and others to authorities; that it compiled secret files on 54 people accused of sexual abuse; that a longtime team physician had allegedly sexually abused female athletes, and is now facing criminal charges; and that at least 368 gymnasts have alleged sexual abuse at the hands of coaches and other authority figures over the past 20 years.

Photojournalist Mykal McEldowney won two individual awards, for long and short videos. He finished in the Top 3 for his short video about Crispus Attucks High School restarting its football program. He finished in the Top 5 for his longer video that captured what it’s like to be deaf and play high school basketball. Athletes at the Indiana School for the Deaf shared that they often felt overlooked and that sports are one way to feel included.

David Woods was honored as a Top 10 beat writer for his compelling coverage of Hoosiers competing in the Rio Olympics, including introducing swimmer Lilly King to the world.

IndyStar competes in the second-largest category, based on circulation size.