Homewood-Flossmoor High School students won 11 awards at the 2026 Illinois Woman’s Press Association Mate E. Palmer Professional and High School Communications Contest.

All first-place winners will be entered into the National Federation of Press Women national contest.

The winners are:

First Place — Aidan Klauk for Video News Story; Laila Dyer, Sofia Bilgi and Declan Klyn for Best Newscast; Aidan Klauk for Video Sports Story; Maggie Stapleton in Radio Prepared Report; Aidan Klauk, Laila Dyer, Bryce Barnett and Bryce Christian for Radio Talk Show; Laila Dyer for Video Feature Story.

Second Place — Cheyenne Smith for Video Sports Story; Sofia Bilgi for Radio Prepared Report; Laila Dyer and Declan Klyn for Video News Story; and Laila Dyer for Radio Talk Show.

Third Place — Ava Slaughter and Kailyn Moreland for Video Feature Story.

Honorable mentions were presented to Anthony Reynoso for Video News Story; Tommy Curran and Brandon Waiters, Video Feature Story; Sofia Bilgi and Zoe Webster for Video Feature Story; Brandon Waiters and Jackson Wingba for Video Sports Story; and Niko Lawrence and Anthony Reynoso for Video News Story.

In 2025, the Illinois Women’s Press Association presented H-F students with eight awards and four honorable mentions.