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Awards Trifecta
Houston Press staffers do well in national, regional and state contests

Houston Press staff writer Todd Spivak has been named a finalist in the national Livingston Awards for Young Journalists competition. He was named a finalist for his story “Run Over By Metro.”

The contest is the nation's largest all-media general reporting contest and designed to honor the best American journalists under the age of 35. Winners will be announced in early June.

In other contest news, Spivak was named a winner in two categories of the regional Maggies competition, an annual magazine-writing contest sponsored by the Western Publishing Association.

He won in the Best Feature Article/Consumer for his story “Hog Wild,” and Best Public Service Series or Article for “Run Over By Metro.”

Art Director Monica Fuentes also was named a Maggies winner. She won the Best Cover category for her cover design of the story “Penal Violations.”

In statewide competition sponsored by the Press Club of Houston, the following Press staffers were named finalists:

Feature Story: Spivak for “Hog Wild,” and Josh Harkinson for “Gator Aid.”

Investigative Reporting: Craig Malisow for “The Plane Truth.”

Public Service: Spivak for “Run Over By Metro.”

Politics/Government: Malisow for “Penal Violations” and Margaret Downing for “Opt In/Opt Out.”

Business Story: Malisow for “Wize Guys.”

General Commentary/Criticism: Downing for “Diary of a Mad Man.”

Sports Story: Daniel Kramer for “Tough Guys.”

Feature Photo: Kramer for “Day of the Dead at MECA.”

Sports Photo: Kramer for “Boxer Eduardo Escobedo.”

Internet Feature Story: Malisow for “Feel My Pain.”

Student Entries: News, Sports or Feature Story: Ruth Samuelson (intern) for “Gods and Lovers.”

Winners of the Press Club's Lone Star Awards will be announced at a banquet on June 8.