The Chuff List

Tigers cannot purr. Instead, they CHUFF – a friendly vocalization that is unique to tigers.

Journalism students are often behind the camera covering student life, athletics and organizations. Sometimes their hard work and dedication is overlooked as they continue to shine a spotlight on what is happening in the school. Therefore, journalism students who have received awards and achievements will be recognized on THE CHUFF LIST.

2025-2026

CORNHUSKER

For the 2025 Black and Gold Yearbook, the students earned the Cornhusker Award — the highest honor for journalistic excellence in high school publications — scoring 960 out of 1000 points!

One judge remarked that their “coverage is bar none the best in the state,” and praised the team’s commitment to inclusion, saying “all the detail I see throughout indicates a staff that cares deeply about making sure inclusion occurs at the granular level.”

The yearbook also received Golden Kernel Awards for Design and Coverage. The News Magazine earned a Golden Kernel for Design, and both the News Magazine and Website received Distinction Marks for their outstanding work.

JEA NEBRASKA WINTER CONTEST

Breanna Nelson – Action Photography, Excellent

Breanna Nelson – Action Photography, Honorable Mention

Cassandra Santillan – Column Writing, Honorable Mention

Giana Hass – Entertainment Review Writing, Excellent

Kaylee Halladay – Editorial Writing, Excellent

Kenzie Davis – Feature Photography, Honorable Mention

Breanna Nelson – Feature Photography, Superior

Breanna Nelson – Feature Photography, Superior

Ashland Carpenter – Headline Writing, Honorable Mention

Ashland Carpenter – Infographic Design, Excellent

Kaylee Halladay – Infographic Design, Excellent

Ava Miller – Newspaper Sports Feature, Honorable Mention

Samantha Skinner – Newspaper Sports Feature, Honorable Mention

Lexi Guiterrez – Yearbook Feature, Excellent

Ava Miller – Yearbook Feature, Honorable Mention

Amy Rodriguez – Yearbook Layout, Honorable Mention

Ashland Carpenter – Yearbook Layout, Honorable Mention

Cassandra Santillan – Yearbook Theme Copy, Excellent

The Tiger’s Eye Staff – Yearbook Theme Development, Excellent

2026 UNO High School Media Contest

Hannaly Sandoval – Second Place in Editorial Cartoon

Cassandra Santillan – First Place in Column Writing

Cassandra Santillan – Second Place in Editorial Writing

Aaron Ross – Third Place in Feature Writing

Amy Rodriguez – Third Place in News Layout 2 Page Design

Tessa Wilcox – Second Place in Sports Photography

2025 UNO High School Media Contest

Annabelle Bignell – First Place in Editorial Writing

Aidan Eberspacher – First Place in Feature Writing

Ashland Carpenter – Second Place in Yearbook/Magazine Layout

NSAA State Journalism

Johnna Winterlin, Newspaper Column Writing – 3rd

Ava Miller, Entertainment Review Writing – 6th

MJ Ideus, Entertainment Review Writing, 1st/State Champion

Porsche Prado, Newspaper Feature Writing – 8th

Annabelle Bignell, Aidan Eberspacher, Chase Fowler, Madalynn Ideus & Porsche Prado, InDepth Coverage – 5th

Annabelle Bignell, Newspaper Layout – 3rd

Sophia Turpitt, Feature Photography – 4th

Sophia Turpitt, Amy Rodriguez Rosa, Cassandra Santillan, Brittney Harms, TJ Newill, Yovani Zetino Rivera, Ashland Carpenter, Mady Vogele, Kenzie Davis, Leya Aldrich Davis Jones, Brody Pruss, Noah Totten, Mason Fein, Kaylee Halladay & Dayana Sanchez – Yearbook Theme Development, 7th
Thalia Gonzales Barrios – Broadcast Public Service Announcement, 6th

2024-2025

JEA NEBRASKA WINTER CONTEST

Kenzie Davis – Action Photography, Honorable Mention

Jaime Ortega Castro – Action Photography, Excellent

Thalia Gonzalez – Broadcast PSA, Honorable Mention

MJ Ideus – Column Writing, Honorable Mention

Ava Placek – Headline Writing, Superior

Annabelle Bignell – Headline Writing, Honorable Mention

Annabelle Bignell, Aidan Eberspacher, Chase Fowler, MJ Ideus & Porsche Prado – InDepth Coverage, Superior

Annabelle Bignell, Aidan Eberspacher, MJ Ideus, Thalia Gonzalez Barrios & Emily Swanda – InDepth Coverage, Superior

Annabelle Bignell – Newspaper Layout, Honorable Mention

Darline Alvarez Payes – Newswriting, Honorable Mention

Ava Miller – NP Sports News, Superior

Sandro Rusio – NP Sports News, Excellent

MJ Ideus – Yearbook Feature Writing, Excellent

Amy Rodriguez Rosa – Yearbook Layout, Superior

Amy Rodriguez Rosa – Yearbook Sports Feature Writing, Honorable

Kenzie Davis – Yearbook Sports Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Amy Rodriguez Rosa – Yearbook Theme Copy Writing, Excellent

Kenzie Davis – Yearbook Theme Copy Writing, Honorable Mention

UNO High School Media Contest

Annabelle Bignell – First Place in Editorial Writing

Aidan Eberspacher – First Place in Feature Writing

Ashland Carpenter – Second Place in Yearbook/Magazine Layout

NSAA State Journalism

Johnna Winterlin, Newspaper Column Writing – 3rd

Ava Miller, Entertainment Review Writing – 6th

MJ Ideus, Entertainment Review Writing, 1st/State Champion

Porsche Prado, Newspaper Feature Writing – 8th

Annabelle Bignell, Aidan Eberspacher, Chase Fowler, Madalynn Ideus & Porsche Prado, InDepth Coverage – 5th

Annabelle Bignell, Newspaper Layout – 3rd

Sophia Turpitt, Feature Photography – 4th

Sophia Turpitt, Amy Rodriguez Rosa, Cassandra Santillan, Brittney Harms, TJ Newill, Yovani Zetino Rivera, Ashland Carpenter, Mady Vogele, Kenzie Davis, Leya Aldrich Davis Jones, Brody Pruss, Noah Totten, Mason Fein, Kaylee Halladay & Dayana Sanchez – Yearbook Theme Development, 7th

Thalia Gonzales Barrios – Broadcast Public Service Announcement, 6th

2023-2024

JEA NEBRASKA WINTER CONTEST

Jack Fortney – Entertainment Review Writing, Excellent

MJ Ideus – Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Annabelle Bignell – Newswriting, Honorable Mention

Xavier Berhow – Sports Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Will Baxa – Newspaper Layout, Superior

Aidan Eberspacher – Newspaper Layout, Excellent

Kenna Getzschman – Yearbook Sports Feature Writing, Excellent

Jacqueline Melendez Aleman – Yearbook Layout, Excellent

Lilly Grummert – Yearbook Theme Writing, Honorable Mention

Jacqueline Melendez Aleman & Kenna Getzschman – Yearbook Theme Development, Superior

UNO High School Media Contest

Ariana Pitterson – Cartoon, 1st

Annabelle Bignell, Aidan Eberspacher, MJ Ideus, Gryphon Smith – Editorial, 2nd

Breanna Nelson – News/Feature Photograph, 2nd

Chase Fowler – Sports Story, 1st

Amy Rodriguez Rosa – Yearbook/Magazine Layout, 2nd
2022-2023 Tiger’s Eye Staff – 2022-2023 Tiger’s Eye Issues, 3rd

NSAA State Journalism

Meah Homan, Advertising – 7th

Arianna Pitterson, Advertising – 4th

Arianna Pitterson, Photo/Artistic Illustration – 5th

Thalia Gonzlez Barrios, Newspaper Layout – 7th

Kenna Getzschman, Yearbook Layout – 7th

Ariana Ordonez, Broadcast Feature – 7th

Jaime Ortega Castro, Feature Photography – 3rd

Annabelle Bignell, Aidan Eberspacher, Cassandra Santillan, Ariana Ordonez, Gryphon Smith, Silver Guel, MJ Ideus, Sammy Contreras; InDepth Coverage – Artificial Intelligence – 4th

Jacqueline Melendez Aleman, Kenna Getzschman, Amy Rodriquez Rosa, Sophia Turpitt, Noah Totten, Dezy Jindra, Bri Mittura, Breanna Nelson, Jaime Ortega Castro, Eros Hernandez-Mendoza, Kenzie Spang, Ashland Carpenter & TJ Newill; Yearbook Theme Development – 1st Place/State Champion

2022-2023

JEA NEBRASKA WINTER CONTEST

Ariana Pitterson – Advertising, Honorable Mention

Ariana Pitterson – Editorial Cartooning, Excellent

Ariana Pitterson – Photo/Artistic illustration, Honorable Mention

Cameryn Hart – Graphic Illustration/Infographic – Honorable Mention

Diego Diaz – Entertainment Review Writing – Honorable Mention

Emmalei Huenniger – YB Sports Feature Writing – Excellent

Heather Smith – Newswriting – Superior

Heather Smith, Lilly Ramirez, Justin Juarez, Breanna Nelson, Diego Diaz – InDepth Newspaper Coverage – Excellent

Justin Juarez – Editorial Cartooning – Superior

Kyle Stearns – Newspaper Layout – Honorable Mention

Lilly Ramirez – Newswriting – Superior

Lilly Ramirez – Newspaper Layout – Honorable Mention

McKenna Getzschman – YB Sports Feature Writing – Excellent

McKenzie Thayer – Advertising – Superior

Meah Homan – Photo/Artistic Illustration – Excellent

Meah Homan – YB Feature Writing – Honorable Mention

Norma Castellano Nuno – YB Layout – Excellent

Vincent Murad – NP Sports News Writing – Honorable Mention

Meah Homan – YB Layout – Honorable Mention

UNO High School Media Contest

Madalyn “MJ” Ideus – Feature Story, 1st Place

Peyton Goebel – 2-Page Newspaper Layout, 2nd Place

NSAA State Journalism

Heather Smith – Editorial Writing 7th

Heather Smith, Yearbook Feature Writing – 3rd

Delaney Karr, Yearbook Layout Design – 5th

Delaney Karr, Photo/Artistic Illustration – 5th

Delaney Karr, PSA Broadcast- 8th

Whitney Walling, Yearbook Layout Design – 6th

McKenzie Thayer, Advertising – 4th

Ariana Pitterson, Advertising – 5th

Peyton Goebel, Advertising – 3rd

Peyton Goebel, Newspaper Layout Design – 5th

Faith Peatrowsky, News Writing – 5th

Gryphon Smith, Yearbook Feature Writing – 6th

William Baxa, Photo/Artistic Illustration – 4th

Lilly Ramirez, Justin Juarez, Gryphon Smith, Annabelle Bignell, William Baxa, Peyton Goebel, Stars and Constellations – In-Depth – 6th

Gryphon Smith, Heather Smith, Diego Diaz, Kyle Stearns, Jacob Fowler, Justin Juarez  – In-Depth – 5th

2021-2022

JEA NEBRASKA WINTER CONTEST

Larissa Anthony – Advertising, Excellent

Hailey Newill – Advertising, Honorable Mention

Rowan VanOsdel – Entertainment Writing, Excellent

Shelby Tracy – Entertainment Writing, Excellent

Heather Smith – Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Allison Ramirez – Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Jared Knollenberg – Sports Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Allison Ramirez – Newspaper Layout, Honorable Mention

Rowan VanOsdel – Headline Writing and Design, Excellent

Meah Homan – Yearbook Feature Writing, Honorable Mention

Whitney Walling – Yearbook Sports Writing, Honorable Mention

Delaney Karr – Yearbook Layout, Superior

Delaney Karr & Whitney Walling – Yearbook Theme Development, Honorable Mention

UNO High School Media Contest

Justin Juarez – Editorial Cartooning, 3rd Place

Emmanuel “Ollie” Salas – Feature Photography, 2nd Place

Emmanuel “Ollie” Salas – Feature Photography, 3rd Place

Rowan VanOsdel – 2-Page Newspaper Layout, 2nd Place

NSAA State Journalism

Justin Juarez – Editorial Cartooning, 8th Place

Lexi Montoya – Photo Illustration, 5th Place

Hailey Newill – Advertising, 4th Place

Rowan Van-Osdel, Lilly Ramirez, Kyle Stearns, Jaqueline Leimer – In-Depth, 2nd Place

Shelby Tracy – Newspaper Layout, 1st Place/State Champion