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NCAA’s Champion magazine wins six Tabbie Awards

Champion is a champion … again!

NCAA Champion magazine continues to establish itself as one of the nation’s top trade publications, winning six more awards in the 2012 contest conducted annually by Trade Association and Business Publications International.

Champion, which also won six “Tabbie” awards last year and five each in 2009 and 2010, was one of just five publications (of almost 500 entered from around the globe) to win as many as five awards. Champion in fact is the only publication to win that many in each of the last four years.

Champion’s awards for 2012 included two “golds” for cover photography and feature design. NCAA Photos’ Stephen Nowland’s shot of University of Washington golfer Cheng-Tsung Pan in the school’s famous Suzzallo Library under the art direction of Sport Graphics designer Arnel Reynon took first place, with the judges saying, “Having the shot in a collegiate setting versus a golf course was a good move. Fantastic photo in a unique setting! Grabs your attention and makes you want to know more.”

Reynon and fellow Sport Graphics designer Amanda Goehlert teamed to win gold for designing Brian Burnsed’s story on ACL injuries called “ObstACLe Course” in the Fall 2012 issue. Among the design’s highlights is a ripped die-cut that reveals the before and after of the knee injury, prompting the judges to say, “This layout is phenomenal and one of the best I’ve seen as a Tabbie judge … As soon as I flipped the fold-over section showing the before/after of an ACL tear, this layout went right to the top in this category. Excellent choices by the designers – this layout is an inspiration.”

Goehlert’s opening design spread for that story also earned fifth-place recognition in that category.

Burnsed also won a bronze for feature writing with the ACL story, with the judges noting, “This is a fantastic feature with useful sidebars and illustrations to explain the injury, and more than enough heart to make the struggle believable and relatable.”

Brian Hendrickson, meanwhile, won a bronze for his profile on Texas long-jumper Marquise Goodwin in the Summer 2012 issue. Called “Flying as far as he can,” Hendrickson’s compelling story prompted this from the judges: “A moving profile of an exceptional young man who is using his gifts for a higher purpose. The piece shows what collegiate sports is about when practiced at its best.”

The Summer 2012 issue of Champion also earned seventh place in the “Best Single Issue” category.

Champion is the NCAA’s official quarterly publication distributed to NCAA member institutions and other constituents. For more information about the magazine, click here.