This image of a Monticello High School tennis player won first place in the Association of Free Community Paper's national photo contest in 2007. The photo captured a moment when a young, star freshman hit a winning forehand. Her legs were in full stride, freezing her in mid air, while her arms followed through across her body with the ball exploding off her racket. It was a unique position for a body to be in and showed the athlete's promising potential. The title of the photo and feature was fitting for her young talent: "Youth Movement."

This photo took first place in the category of Best Portrait Personality Photo (circulation 2,000-5,000) in the 2006-07 MNA Better Newspaper Contest. The candid photo taken at a Monticello High School baseball game captured a rare moment when the pitcher in the dugout leaned over the fence, shielding his eyes from the sun while he watched the game. The title of the photo and story was "A Bright Vision."

This image took third place in the Association of Free Community Paper's national contest. I captured a Monticello club lacrosse player soaring in midair while shooting what ended up being a big goal. The ball was captured in route to the goal, where the goalie stretched to attempt to make a save.