Thanks again to Claude Felton for organizing the annual GSWA writing contest. It wouldn’t be possible without Claude.

Thanks to past presidents Adam Van Brimmer, Steve Ellis and Jim O’Hara for being the final jurors to determine the Furman Bisher Sweepstakes Award.

Here are the winners:

 2019 Georgia Sports Writers Association Contest

 Sports Sections

Best sports section

1. Marietta Daily Journal
2. Gwinnett Daily Post
3. Savannah Morning News

 Best Sunday sports section

1. Marietta Daily Journal
2. Savannah Morning News
3. Gwinnett Daily Post

Best special section

1. Marietta Daily Journal
2. Gwinnett Daily Post
3. Savannah Morning News

 Best Event Story On Deadline – Pro/College Sports

1. Chris Kirschner, The Athletic (Trae Young and Michael Porter, Jr.)
2. Taylor Denman, Gwinnett Daily Post (Former UGA players enjoy Patriots Super Bowl win)
3. Chris Kirschner, The Athletic (Hawks early struggles)

Best Event Story On Deadline — High School Sports

1. Will Hammock, Gwinnett Daily Post (Mourning Thomas Montroy leads Brookwood to title)
2. Christine Troyke, Gwinnett Daily Post (Holy Innocents’ beats defending champ Wesleyan)
3. Dennis Knight, Savannah Morning News (Defense leads Jenkins past Islands)

Best Sports News Story On Deadline – Pro/College Sports

1. Seth Emerson, The Athletic (Future of Georgia-Florida game)
2. Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald (Georgia sprinter recovering)
3. Nathan Dominitz, Savannah Morning News (NFL’s Cam Newton brings summer camp)

Best Sports News Story On Deadline — High School Sports

1. Dennie Knight, Savannah Morning News (GHSA denies Islands football appeal)
2. Nathan Dominitz, Savannah Morning News (State lawmakers evaluating GHSA)
3. Chris Fernsler, Troup County News (Gibbs resigns, Granger players stunned)

Best Feature Or Series – Non-Deadline – Pro/College Sports

       1.Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald (UGA rolls our red carpet for Magill Society)

2. Jason Butt, The Athletic (Falcons and head coach Dan Quinn’s impact)
3. Seth Emerson, The Athletic (Death of the fullback)

Best Feature Or Series – Non-Deadline –High School Sports

1. Patrick J. O’Shea, Daily Citizen News (High school officials)
2. Christine Troyke, Gwinnett Daily Post (Archer’s Carlsen makes miraculous comeback)
3. Christian Knox, McClain Baxley, Prince Robinson, Henry Queen, John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal (Cobb in Division I)

 Best Column

1. Jeff Schultz, The Athletic (Scott Pioli)
2. John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal (Sugar Bowl and Fields’ transfer decision)
3. Jeff Schultz, The Athletic (End of Braves season)

Best Columnist

1. Jeff Schultz, The Athletic (Scott Pioli, Tom Glavine, End of Braves season)
2. John Bednarowski, Marietta Daily Journal
3. Ryne Dennis, Athens Banner-Herald (Fair pay to play, Time for Foley Field to catch up, players make day all about Dooley)

Outdoors Writing/Amateur Non-Scholastic Sports

1. Stan Awtrey, Golf Georgia (Adaptive golf)
2. Nathan Dominitz, Savannah Morning News (Profile of swimmer Sharon Taylor)
3. Will Hammock, Gwinnett Daily Post (Beloved summer swim league figure passes away)

Sweepstakes Award — Best overall story from all categories

Jeff Schultz, The Athletic (Scott Pioli)

Judges:  Chris Low, espn.com; Dave Matter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News

Sweepstakes Judges: Former GSWA Presidents Adam Van Brimmer, Steve Ellis and Jim O’Hara.