The Mustang Moon placed in several categories in the spring contests for the Iowa High School Press Association.
“The Mustang Moon is one of 15 Iowa Schools, five from each class size, who are named “News Team of the Year” Finalists,” said advisor JoAnn Gage. “
Those news teams will compete to be one of five News Teams of the Year, which will be announced in October.
Placing first were: Lydia Marshall for infographic “Freshmen and their experience;” Renee Vig for sports feature photo “Volleyball Celebration;” Lucy Wischmeyer, Mavrik Schweer, Kaia Swaim, Isabel Govea and Eastin Whisner for video story “Volleyball State Champions 2024;” Renee Vig for photo story “Mount Vernon Advances to the Semifinals After 3-0 Win Against Mid-Prairie;” Emily Giel for feature photo “Smile of A Queen;” Lydia Marshall for environmental picture “Drum Major Clare Nydegger;”
Cyrus Cannon, Watson Krob, Xander Wegner for entertainment for “Mount Vernon Boys Basketball Promo;” Kade Kaiser for news photo “Hyping Up for Homecoming;” Lydia Marshall for web story design “Freshmen and Their Experience;” Mavrik Schweer, Kaia Swaim, Lucy Wischmeyer for podcast “Interview with #1 Ranked Wrestler in Iowa, Libby Dix;” Mavrik Schweer, Polly Hinrichs for multimedia story sports “Mustangs Make History Once Again: Mount Vernon Girls Wrestling Places 2nd as a Team, and Puts 5 on the Podium;” Brighton Bybee for column/opinion “Expanded
Kirkwood Access: Why we should expand the number of Kirkwood courses students have access to”
Placing second were: Brighton Bybee for infographic “School Safety in Iowa: Post-Perry What is being done, and can be done, to protect us, and students like us across Iowa?;” Lucy Wischmeyer for sports feature photo “Coach and Gunnar;” Avery Thurn for photo story “Mustangs Win Regional Duals:
Mount Vernon Will Compete in Back-to- Back 2A State Wrestling Duals;” Eva Bishop for personality profile “Sheep, Sewing, and Service: Mya Stoner’s 4-H experience;”
Kade Kaiser for feature photo “Laughing Through the Parade;” Tommy Rhomberg, Seth Rushford, Koen Wiebel, Colin Boehler, Luke Rushford, Owen Wheat for entertain- ment “Poker Prodigy;” Audrey Vaughn for news photo “Thumbs Up!;” Eva Bishop, Kade Kaiser for the multimedia story fea- ture “2024 Homecoming Parade Brings Joy to the Community;” Renee Vig for sports action photo “Girls Basketball Wins State Championship;”
Placing third were: Alex Briesemeister, Cole McDermott, Jayden Pyatt, Reid Rolland, Maddox Thede, and Jakob Yock for video story “2025 Freshman Basketball Team;” Lucy Wischmeyer for photo story
“The Mustangs Trample over Mount Pleasant in Homecoming Win;” Lydia Marshall for feature photo “A Dazzling Victory;” Sarabell Steil for editorial cartoon/comic strip “Year-Round School Should Not Be
Allowed;” Seth Rushford for news photo “Drone Alone;” John Bishop, Cooper Krob, Beckett Johnson, Nathaniel Lewis, Cayden Scheil for podcasting “The Mustang Moon Podcast: Brawlstars;” Audrey Vaughn,
Kade Kaiser for the multimedia story feature “Hyping Up for Homecoming: Friday’s Pep Assembly Gets Students Excited;” Avery Thurn for sports action photo “State Cham- pion Wrestler Jase Jaspers;”
Honorable mentions went to: Avery Thurn for sports feature photo “Mustangs Win Regional Duals;” Lucy Wischmeyer for sports feature photo “Chloe Lynner Can Fly;” Dylan Robinson for reviews “Top Five
Hangout Locations in Mount Vernon,” Kade Kaiser for photo story “2024 Homecoming Parade Brings Joy to the Community;” Lucy Wischmeyer for photo story “Mustangs Win First Outdoor Volleyball Match;” Lydia Marshall for feature photo “Reaching for the Stars One Last Time;” Katharine Bauer for editorial cartoon/comic strip “Keep Kids Safe: Don’t Minimize Bus Driver Training!;”
Lucy Wischmeyer for sports action photo “Mount Vernon Wins over Benton;” Renee Vig for sports action photo “Mount Vernon Mustangs Defeat Marion Wolves;” Seth Rushford for sports story game or season recap “Mount Vernon HS Mustangs Sophomore Basketball Team Clutches a Win Against Marion.”