By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The halls of Thompson High School include some of the best student journalists in the state, the Alabama Broadcasters Association confirmed when it heaped awards on the THS TV students during a recent competition.

The THS TV team, which is led by teacher Brooke Dennis, traveled to the Broadcasters Association’s state competition the weekend of Feb. 20, where they earned a total of 34 awards in multiple categories.

Topping the awards list was student Sarah Jones, who became the school’s third-consecutive Broadcast Journalist of the Year. THS students have now won the Broadcast Journalist of the Year award in four out of the past five years.

“I believe that this is the most awards we have ever won at this competition. I am extremely proud of these students and for everything they have accomplished,” Dennis wrote in an email. “They worked really hard this year, not just preparing for this competition, but also working to ensure that we are putting the best shows out there for our viewers.”

The competition consisted of three categories: A mail-in entry category, a carry-in entry category and an on-site competition category.

Students from all grades at THS won awards at the competition, and THS TV swept multiple categories.

The following students won awards in the following categories:

Mail-In Category Awards

 

Broadcast News Story/Reporting

Second place: Brady Talbert, “New High School update”

Third place: Makayla Williams, “Parents cause parking problems”

 

Broadcast Sports Story/Reporting

First place: Makayla Williams, “Pelham/Thompson rivalry”

Third place: Sam Callahan, “Heisman Update”

 

Feature News

Honorable mention: Sarah Jones, “What Back 2 the Future Got Right”

 

Broadcast Spot News Coverage

First place: Camille Bunch and Brady Talbert, “Breaking News – Car Wreck”

Third place: Makayla Williams, “Attendance Incentive”

 

Broadcast News Anchor

First place: Makayla Williams

Second place: Brady Talbert

 

Broadcast Sports Anchor

Second place: Chase Mayo

 

Broadcast Editing

Honorable mention: Brady Talbert, “New High School update”

 

Broadcast Videography

First place: Brady Talbert, “Football Season Preview”

 

Directing

Second place: Tyler Hussey

 

Broadcast Journalist of the Year

Sarah Jones

 

Overall Broadcast Award

THS TV (All of Alabama)

 

Broadcast News

First place: THS TV

 

Carry-in Awards

 

Broadcast News Story

First place: Makayla Williams, “Thespians win at competition”

Second place: Brady Talbert, “TV and Film offers new classes”

Third place: Makayla Williams, “Eighth Grade Preview Day”

 

Broadcast Sports Story

Second place: Noah Pevey, “Super Bowl 50”

Third place: Bryant Horn, “LA Rams”

 

Human Interest/Feature Story

First place: Brady Talbert, “Local toddler goes viral”

Second place: Sarah Jones, “Warriors support Wounded Warriors”

 

Broadcast Editing

First place: Brady Talbert, “The Now commercial”

Second place: Brady Talbert, “Miss THS Show Opener“

Third place:Brady Talbert, “Snapchat Commercial”

 

Broadcast Videography

First place: Alexis Lundy, “Visual Ensemble set to compete”

Second place: Makayla Williams, “Eighth Grade Preview Day”

Third place: Brady Talbert, “The Blitz Preview”

 

Onsite Competition

 

Newscast Anchor

First place: Sammy Chatham

Second place: Sarah Jones

 

Sportscast Anchor

First place: Constance Mcknight

Second place: Sam Callahan

 

Broadcast Stand-Up

First place: Brady Talbert