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Five Kansas high school yearbooks have been named Pacemaker finalists by the National Scholastic Press Association, NSPA contest coordinator Kathy Huting announced today. In addition, Maize South Middle School’s yearbook earned special recognition from the NSPA.

The five finalists:

• The JAG, Mill Valley HS
  Courtney Colin, Carolyn Gatewood, Karl Sparrman, editors
  Kathy Hill Habiger, adviser
• Indian, Shawnee Mission North HS
  Kevin Moore, editor
  Becky Tate, adviser
• Saga, Shawnee Mission West HS
  Kelsey Heller, Cheryl Hinman, Tina Tadros, editors
  Amy Morgan, adviser
• Hauberk, Shawnee Mission East HS
  Andrea Tudhope, Alexandria Norton, editors
  Dow Tate, adviser
• Lair, Shawnee Mission Northwest HS
  Bailey Reimer, editor
  Susan Massy, adviser

Here’s Huting’s press release:

The 2009 NSPA Yearbook Pacemaker yielded a total of 425 entries, which represents an increase from the 2008 contest and a record total in recent years. A team of four judges with extensive yearbook and professional journalism experience traveled to Minneapolis in late January to make the selections.

All high school entries were divided into four proportionate categories based on total page count, and junior high books were judged separately in one category. Judges completed an initial elimination round and considered a number of factors as disqualifiers. These included illegal photo usage, along with a lack of the following: index, captions, body copy, book identification, colophon or identification of school.

After the elimination round, judges spent a day and a half selecting 52 high school yearbook finalists and six junior high finalists. An additional four junior high yearbooks were selected for special recognition.

The primary factors considered by the judging team included: concept/theme, complete coverage, excellent photography (with an emphasis on student work), effective design and strong writing and editing. Judges also considered books that pushed the envelope and experimented with design or concept, for example.

The Pacemaker winners will be announced for the first time at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Portland, April 15-18. Registration is now open online.

A video with comments from the judging team will be published soon.