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Joliet West High School's Journalism Team achieved recognition at the 2025 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Journalism Sectional Awards. The team secured various state placements, concluding with an overall second-place finish in the Sectionals, narrowly missing the first-place distinction by three points. Joliet West excelled in 15 out of 18 categories, leading to 10 students advancing to the state competition across 9 categories.
Alih Rangel earned a 3rd place in Infographics and 1st in Yearbook Layout Double Page Spread, advancing to state. She achieved her goal of being a state qualifier all four years. Alaina Potocki secured 1st place in Radio News and will move on to state. Mireya Saucedo gained 4th place in Newspaper Design and 3rd in Headline Writing, also advancing. Rufus Wersen achieved 2nd place in Newswriting and 6th in Sports Writing, moving on to state in Newswriting as a first-time participant.
The team of Jaedynn Clark, Amaya Nichols, and Neveah Walker captured 3rd place in TV News, advancing to state. Eli Pearson impressed with 1st place in Editorial Cartooning and 3rd in Advertising, securing spots at state. Madison Wingerter, Dalyla Martinez, and Nicole Nielsen also advanced in their respective fields of Feature Writing, Editorial Writing, Yearbook Caption Writing, and Yearbook Copy Writing.
Molly Murdock-Schey and Bethany Yanchick took 1st place in Yearbook Theme Development. "We are so incredibly proud of all of our students. Their hard work, creativity, and dedication have truly paid off, and seeing their passion for journalism come to life in these results is inspiring," commented Jenn Galloy, Journalism Advisor at Joliet West High School. "Our team has grown tremendously, and it’s exciting to see them excel in so many categories. This success is a reflection of the effort, collaboration, and commitment to excellence they bring every day. We’re looking forward to representing Joliet West at the state competition!"
Joliet West aims to continue its success at the upcoming IHSA State Journalism Competition.
