Times Free Press editorial cartoonist Clay Bennett and assistant sports editor Stephen Hargis picked up Green Eyeshade Awards in the annual Society of Professional Journalists competition for the 11-state southern region.
Bennett took first place in the editorial cartoons category, beating J.D. Crowe of The Press-Register of Mobile, Ala., and John Bisognano of The Palm Beach Post.
Hargis, who heads high-school sports coverage for the Times Free Press, won third place in the sports reporting category for "Fear Monster." The story told how Alcoa High School so dominates football that two Chattanooga-area teams took steps to avoid playing its team. The first-place winner was Andrew Gribble, Knoxville News-Sentinel. Kyle Veazey, The Commercial Appeal, won second place.
A statement announcing the winners said SPJ is the nation's most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.