At its 51st annual conference, held in Eufaula, Ala., on Oct. 14-17, the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) recognized winners in its Excellence in Craft competition, which is sponsored by Chevrolet. First, second and third place winners were announced in nine EIC categories. Also included in the ceremony were presentations of the Sharon Rushton Award
(recognizing outstanding coverage of youth in the outdoors), the Realtree Website Award, and the Conference Site Story featuring Lake Charles, La., where SEOPA met in 2013.
Among the organization members recognized for their professional accomplishments were a number of multiple winners. They included Alabama resident Tes Randle Jolly, who garnered first and second in Outdoor Photography as well as a second in the Magazine Short Story category. Jolly also won the prestigious President’s Award; Jim Casada, who placed first in the Magazine, and Weekly Newspaper categories; Kenny Keiser, who took home The Sharon Ruston Award and first place in the Daily Newspaper; Keith Sutton also won multiple awards. A complete list of winners and their entries follows.
AUDIO PROGRAM
1st Place: Jim Ferguson
“Oliver North”
The Revolution with Jim and Trav – May 21, 2015
2nd Place: Jim Ferguson
“Gregg Ritz”
May 28, 2015
3rd Place: Larry Rea
“Classic Preview”
Larry Rea Outdoors – ESPN Sports 790-AM
VIDEO PROGRAM
1st Place: Richard Simms
“Cold Water Cats”
“Tennessee Wildlife” – April 2015
2nd Place: Jimmy Jacobs
“White Bass Run”
“Fox Sports Outdoors South” – April 2, 2015
3rd Place: Mark Davis
“Big Water Adventures”
“100th Episode Extravaganza”
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION
1st Place: Ed Wall
“The Fishy Smell of Spring”
The Sun Journal – June 4, 2015
2nd Place: Kristine Houtman
“Lewis and Clarks Girardoni Air Rifle”
The Outdoor Hub – May 12, 2015
3rd Place: Tim Huffman
“Classic Magic – The Pole”
Crappie Now – March 2015
OUTDOOR BOOK
1st Place: Keith Sutton
Hardcore Catfishing
2nd Place: Gary Sefton
Lessons Learned from the Magnificent Bird
3rd Place: J. Wayne Fears
Chipmunk, Punky, Sometimes Jenny and Me
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER STORY
1st Place: Jim Casada
“The Tale of an Old Coffee Cup”
Smoky Mountain Times – December 2014
2nd Place: Chris Holmes
“Sorry Charlie”
St. Bernard Voice – February 2015
3rd Place: Otha Barham
“Johnny Stonebreaker’s Dream Hunt”
Meridian (Miss.) Star – May 2015
DAILY NEWSPAPER STORY
1st Place: Kenny Kieser
“Restored Decoys Help Duck Hunt”
The Examiner – November 2014
2nd Place: Keith Sutton
“The Rabbit Man”
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette – January 2015
3rd Place: Brent Frazee
“The Road Back from War”
Kansas City Star – April 2015
PHOTOGRAPH
1st Place: Tes Jolly
“Sunset Success”
Virginia Wildlife – September/October 2014
2nd Place: Tes Jolly
“Ride’em Gobbler”
Gamekeepers – September – Spring 2015
3rd Place: Donna Bush
“Bald Eagle”
Slidell Magazine – July 2014
MAGAZINE STORY – SHORT
(1,000 words or less)
1st Place: Tes Jolly
“Clash of the Titans”
Gamekeepers – Spring 2015
2nd Place: Jim Mize
“Bumper Stickers for Trout Bums”
In-Fisherman – August/September 2014
3rd Place: David Johnson
“A Father, Son and A Buck”
North Carolina Game & Fish – November 2014
MAGAZINE FEATURE
(more than 1,000 words)
1st Place: Jim Casada
“The Marvelous Mountain Cur”
South Carolina Wildlife – September/October 2014
2nd Place: Jim Spencer
“Hunting Wild Turkeys on the Other Side of 60”
Lightnin’ Ridge Outdoor Journal – Spring 2015
3rd Place: Jill Easton
“Outwitting an Eagle”
Trapper’s Post – November 2014
REALTREE WEBSITE AWARD
1st Place: Jim Ferguson
jimandtrav.com
2nd Place: Larry Rea
lroutdoors.com
3rd Place: Keith Sutton
sutton.photos
CONFERENCE SITE STORY
1st Place: Josh Wolfe
“Louisiana: Sportsman Paradise Part II”
Outdoor Hub – November 2013
2nd Place: Dick Jones
“Calcasieu Charters”
Outdoor Hub – December 22, 2013
3rd Place: Polly Dean
“Redfish on the Cajun Coast”
Mississippi/Louisiana Game and Fish – April 2014
SHARON RUSHTON AWARD
Kenny Kieser
“Remembering the Best Days”
The Examiner – January 24, 2015
For more information about SEOPA please visit www.seopa.org.