The Hearst Journalism Awards Program announced the top 10 winners in the college personality/profile writing competition.

Mark Dent, Overland Park senior, placed third and won a $1,000 scholarship, and Jeff Deters, Centralia 2008 graduate, finished in eighth place and won a $500 scholarship. This was the competition’s 49th year and 110 college undergraduate programs participated.

Deters wrote his award-winning profile of Julian Wright, who played basketball for KU from 2005 to 2007, before joining the New Orleans Hornets.

“When you write your stories, you’re not really worried about awards,” Deters said.

Deters traveled to New Orleans to write about Wright’s life. He said he tried to write every word to bring readers into the story.

“It was probably my best work I would say,” Deters said.

Deters is now working as the sports editor for the Eudora News.

“A lot of what we do is reflective of the teachers we learn from,” Deters said. “KU probably has the best journalism teachers.”

The University is in first place overall in the competition.

— — Edited by Sonya English