Joliet, Illinois – Joliet West students won five honors Saturday at SPC Journalism Championship meet.
The Southwest Prairie Conference (SPC) Journalism Championship was held at Plainfield North High School, where Joliet West High School’s multimedia team competed against student journalists from across the conference.
According to school officials, the Tigers earned five All-Conference awards spanning photojournalism, editorial cartooning, yearbook production and broadcast video.
Gabi Popova secured first place in Photo Storytelling. Milani Roman placed third in Editorial Cartooning. Nic Nielsen earned fourth place in Yearbook Caption Writing, while Aspen Ramirez placed fifth in Yearbook Layout. Courtesy Griffin and Emmett Kelly earned fifth place in Video News.
Advisor Jenn Galloy said the results reflect the students’ sustained commitment to journalism fundamentals and production standards.
“I am incredibly proud of the dedication these students have shown to their craft,” Galloy said. “Their performance this weekend was a testament to their growth as storytellers. They represented Joliet West with professionalism and character.”
Conference team members also included Makayla Hawkins, Kylie Tyus, Deissa Gutierrez, Madison Wingerter and Maia James.
The SPC championship requires students to complete timed, skills-based assignments judged against conference-wide standards. Events test reporting accuracy, visual composition, editorial clarity and multimedia production.
For students preparing for careers in communications, media or digital storytelling, conference competitions provide early exposure to deadline-driven journalism environments.
Joliet West’s multimedia program will next compete at the IHSA Journalism Sectionals in April, where students will seek qualification for the state finals.
