Newsday earns a 'Triple Crown' in the APSE contest

Newsday earned the coveted “Triple Crown” in The Associated Press Sports Editors annual contest, placing in the top 10 nationally for its daily, Sunday and special sections.

Newsday also had top-10 finishes in the beat writing, video and feature photo categories in the contest held this week in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“The Triple Crown is an amazing accomplishment and speaks to the hard work and dedication of the entire sports staff,” Newsday sports editor Hank Winnicki said. “This is a prestigious honor, and I couldn’t be more proud of the work we're doing."

Newsday’s daily section entry included coverage of the Subway Series between the Mets and Yankees, the NBA Finals and the U.S. women’s soccer team in the World Cup, while the Sunday section entry included coverage of the Mets' Pete Alonso setting a rookie record by hitting his 53rd home run and the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, and a 16-page high school pullout section.

Newsday’s baseball preview section was honored in the special section category. The section featured comprehensive previews of the Mets and Yankees. The enterprise package on the 1969 Miracle Mets by Mark Herrmann was a look back on the 50th anniversary of the iconic team’s season, which culminated with a World Series win over the Baltimore Orioles. Herrmann also wrote the annual “Baseball 101” feature, which focused on the 101 deals to remember in baseball history.

Newsday's Mets beat writer Tim Healey placed in the top 10 for an entry that included news stories on the firing of Mets manager Mickey Callaway and Alonso hitting his 53rd home run, an enterprise story written for the baseball preview section on Jacob deGrom's encore after winning his first National League Cy Young Award in 2018, a feature on Alonso's ancestral roots in Queens, and a feature on how the Mets are using virtual reality technology to prepare for opposing pitchers.

“Empress” won in the video category. The documentary chronicled Long Island boxer Alicia Napoleon-Espinosa, a world boxing champion, and the financial struggles she and other female boxers face when compared with their male counterparts as well as female MMA fighters. It was produced by Shelby Knowles, Megan Miller, Robert Cassidy and Mark La Monica, and shot by Knowles, Jeffrey Basinger, Yeong-Ung Yang, Ryan Gerbosi, Reece T. Williams and Cassidy. Miller edited the 20-minute documentary.

Newsday photographer Thomas A. Ferrara placed in the top 10 for his feature photo of Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman walking off the field after giving up the game-winning home run to Jose Altuve of the Astros in Game 6 of the ALCS.

Newsday received honorable mention in the website category.