The Sundial took home 15 journalism awards at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association’s (TIPA) annual convention last week in San Marcos.
The three-day convention brought together more than 400 student journalists and faculty advisers from across Texas, offering a mix of live on-site contests and recognition for previously published work.
Representing SAC at the event were Sundial Editor D.J. Agleton and Photo Editor Aidan De Leon, who each earned multiple individual awards.
“We have members from universities and colleges across the state who come together to do good journalism and to protect the rights of student journalists,” TIPA President and Faculty Advisor at Texas A&M University Kingsville Nicole Morris said. “We meet once a year to showcase their best work.”
In the convention’s on-site live contests, Agleton and De Leon placed second in the Two-Person Photo Essay category, while De Leon also earned third place in Sports Photography.
“The live contests are really fun. This is when students compete on site in anything from live news coverage to advertising to photography. We put the students’ skills to the test in real time on deadline,” Morris told the Sundial. “It is meant to simulate real life to produce good journalism.”
The Sundial and its staff and contributors also made a strong showing in TIPA’s previously-published contest, competing against other two-year colleges from across the state. The publication captured 13 awards for content published in 2024, including top honors in reporting, photography and social media.
“There are four different divisions in TIPA. They are separated by enrollment at each school,” said Morris. “That determines what division you will compete in.”
Among the winners was Sundial contributor Olivia Rico, who, along with De Leon, won first place in the Photo Illustration category for the lead photo in The Fighter: How a Lost Young Man Found His Way at San Antonio College. Rico also earned first place in Feature Story for the same article.
De Leon won first place awards in Environmental Portrait, Feature Photo and Sports Action Photo and placed in several others.
The Sundial also earned first place for Overall Excellence in Social Media and third place for Overall Excellence in Website, the latter credited to De Leon and Sundial Digital and Social Media Editor Sam Rocke.
“Our student journalists work so hard, and I try to celebrate their achievements as much as possible,” said Journalism Instructor and Faculty Adviser Ethan E. Rocke. “My hope is that we might print and display some of this outstanding work in an exhibition somewhere on campus.”
The complete list of awards includes:
- 1st Place – Overall Excellence: Social Media
- 1st Place – Feature Story: Olivia Rico, The Fighter
- 1st Place – Photo Illustration: Olivia Rico & Aidan De Leon, The Fighter
- 1st Place – Environmental Portrait: Aidan De Leon, The Fighter
- 1st Place – Feature Photo: Aidan De Leon, Urban Echoes
- 1st Place – General Column: Aidan De Leon, Urban Echoes
- 1st Place – Sports Action Photo: Aidan De Leon, Armadillos Playoff Win
- 2nd Place – Sports Action Photo: Aidan De Leon, Boxing Club at SAC Funfest
- 2nd Place – Photo Story: D.J. Agleton, Serving SAC Community for 40 Years, Hogwild Records is Music Lovers’ Haven
- 3rd Place – Photo Story: Aidan De Leon, Urban Echoes
- 3rd Place – Environmental Portrait: Aidan De Leon, Urban Echoes
- 3rd Place – Overall Excellence: Website — Aidan De Leon & Sam Rocke
- Honorable Mention – Feature Story: Legaci Lee, Empathy and Games in History Education
The TIPA convention remains one of the oldest and largest collegiate press gatherings in the nation, providing a stage for aspiring journalists to test their skills under pressure and gain recognition for their work.
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