Latest news with #BestoftheWest
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Lizzie Johnson named Ukraine Correspondent
We're happy to announce that Lizzie Johnson will become Ukraine correspondent, adding more powerhouse talent to our first-class team in Kyiv. A standout reporter and writer, Lizzie already knows her way around Ukraine and the momentous stories unfolding there. She has excelled during three long fill-in stints over the past 16 months, reporting on the war, its impact and on its leaders in riveting ways. Her most recent reporting trip produced, among other things, a wrenching portrait of a city in anguish after a Russian missile strike killed nine children on a playground. Lizzie joins International from The Post's narrative accountability team, which combines the rigor of investigative reporting with the power of narrative storytelling. She is a four-time finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists, including recognition of her work from Ukraine. She was previously a staff writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, where she covered City Hall before moving to the enterprise and investigative team, earning nods from the California News Publishers Association for Best Writing, Best Profile, Best Enterprise, Best Feature and Best Wildfire Feature. She won the Best of the West contest in longform feature writing in 2021 and was honored by the National Press Club with the President's Award in 2023. Her in-depth coverage of California's wildfire crisis — for which she attended and graduated from a professional firefighting academy — led to her first book, 'Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire." It won the 2022 Gold Medal for nonfiction in the California Book Awards contest and is being developed into a feature film starring America Ferrera and Matthew McConaughey, out this fall. Raised in a farming family in Nebraska, Lizzie is a graduate of the University of Missouri, with bachelor's degrees in journalism and political science. She is also something of an extreme athlete who backpacks, runs marathons and climbs mountains, including some of America's tallest peaks (including, just last week, Mount Hood). That adventuresome spirit will serve Lizzie well in Ukraine, where she joins a team led by bureau chief Siobhán O'Grady, Ukraine-based reporter David L. Stern and a talented and dedicated team of local reporters. Lizzie will start the new job on June 1; she and her husband will move to Kyiv this summer.
San Francisco Chronicle
30-04-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle wins top honors at Best of the West awards
The San Francisco Chronicle won some of the top awards at this year's Best of the West journalism awards, with judges recognizing the newsroom's visual storytelling and sharp commentary across several categories. The Best of the West competition draws hundreds of entries each year from newsrooms across the western U.S., and is judged by veteran journalists and editors from around the country. This year's field was especially competitive, with more than 800 entries across dozens of categories. The Chronicle earned top honors for ' Mass incarceration devastated S.F. Japantown. For the first time, we know how much,' which traced the consequences of the U.S. government's internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and showed, through data, visuals and interviews, how the forced removal still echoes through Japantown's modern housing patterns, economic disparities and community life. The piece — by culture critic Peter Hartlaub, data visualization developer Nami Sumida, photographer Lea Suzuki, illustrator John Blanchard and digital designer and developer Stephanie Zhu — won first place in both Social Justice Reporting and Online Presentation, with judges praising the immersive project as 'digital storytelling at its finest.' The judges lauded the Chronicle staff for its 'spectacular' use of historical census data and Japanese-language records, as well the digital presentation — which included archive and contemporary photography, animations, and a closing visual of a paper crane — calling it 'poetry, showing every little detail considered.' The Chronicle was also honored in commentary and business reporting. Editorial Page Editor Matthew Fleischer won first place for Editorial Writing for 'Endorsement: Breed is the safe choice for mayor. But if you think S.F. needs change, only one candidate fits. ' Judges called the piece thoughtful, persuasive and rich in reporting. They noted the editorial 'treats its readers as adults and makes a persuasive argument with context to spare.' Columnist Emily Hoeven took second place in General Interest Column Writing for a portfolio that dug into San Francisco's regulatory dysfunction, a dog attack on a public beach and an international custody dispute — stories that judges said were defined by their mix of investigative rigor and emotional clarity. And former Chronicle columnist Soleil Ho, known for blending cultural criticism with reporting, earned second place in Special Topic Column Writing for work exploring the challenges faced by San Francisco's restaurant industry, including the economics of tipping, and the unexpected environmental threat of invasive bullfrogs. The Chronicle's newsroom was also recognized for standout work in business journalism. Reporter Susie Neilson won third place in Business and Financial Reporting for her investigation into Stanford University's relationship with self-help mogul Tony Robbins, a story that pulled back the curtain on how academic prestige and personal branding can intersect in uncomfortable ways. Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Emilio Garcia-Ruiz said the awards highlight the power of local journalism done with ambition and care. 'These stories show the full range of what this newsroom can do — from dogged historical research to cutting-edge design to deeply personal, emotionally resonant storytelling,' he said. 'They're not just good journalism. They're journalism that serves the public and challenges the powerful.' The San Francisco Chronicle ( is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second-largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst in 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Follow us on Twitter at @SFChronicle.
The Citizen
21-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Noordheuwel crush Linden in showdown
The highly anticipated Best of the West match between rugby rivals Hoërskool Noordheuwel (Nories) and Hoërskool Linden was a game most supporters were fixated on. The match got off to a thrilling start, with both teams bringing the intensity, aiming to score their first try. However, the game took a dramatic turn when a player from Linden suffered a concussion and was taken to the hospital immediately. Despite this setback, the team showed their resilience and continued to push through, refusing to let their teammate's injury affect their performance. Nories' dominance on the field was evident with the final score being a jarring 52–3, while Linden's best efforts only managed to secure them a penalty. Our second team played against Noordheuwel's third team, which is about seven or eight divisions higher than us, so we were well aware of the competitiveness and physicality of the team. 'I strongly feel that this was a great chance for the boys to challenge their fears of playing against such strong teams and take them head-on, not just in the field but in life too. Congratulations to Noordheuwel on this epic win, and we appreciate the lessons learned today,' said Linden's coach Gerrie Scheepers. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Los Angeles Times
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Mira Costa boys volleyball sweeps Loyola to end 11-match losing streak against rival
It was high school volleyball at its finest. 'Absolutely incredible!' That's how Mira Costa boys volleyball coach Greg Snyder described his team's performance Friday night following the latest chapter in a fierce rivalry between two of the top programs in the nation. The visiting Mustangs (20-1) took command early and never let up, sweeping Loyola 25-19, 25-18, 25-20 to establish themselves as the favorites to win the Southern Section's highest division. Leading the way was Grand Canyon University signee Thatcher Fahlbusch, a senior whose 12 kills came when his squad needed them most. The Mustangs avenged a loss in the finals of the Best of the West Tournament in San Diego two weeks ago — and ended a nightmarish losing streak against the Cubs. 'We served much better and got them out of system,' said Fahlbusch, whose younger brother Blake, a USC commit, was weakened by the flu but still had five kills for Loyola. 'Our main strength is in numbers — they can't key on one guy. We'd lost 11 in a row to them so we wanted to put an end to that.' Despite living in Manhattan Beach, the brothers decided when Thatcher was in eighth grade to go to Loyola, but he transferred after his sophomore year. He is glad he made the switch — and so are his teammates. 'It's all love,' Thatcher said. 'This is an awesome environment to play in.' Adding 12 kills, the last coming on the Mustangs' third match point, was Mateo Fuerbringer, whose sister Charlie was a setter for Mira Costa and completed her freshman season at the University of Wisconsin in December. Setter Andrew Chapin had 40 assists, UCLA commit Grayson Bradford (a senior transfer from Crespi) had 11 kills and Alex Heins added seven kills and four blocks for the Mustangs, who had last beaten Loyola in the SoCal Regional Division I finals on June 12, 2021. 'We wanted to win so bad,' Bradford said. 'We brought the energy and we have so much trust in each other. No matter who it is, we believe we can put any ball away.' Loyola defeated Mira Costa three times last spring — winning the schools' annual nonleague showdown, then sweeping the Mustangs in the Southern Section Division 1 finals and SoCal Regional finals — on its way to being crowned USA Today/AVCA national champion for a second straight season and the fourth time in school history. Snyder, who took the helm last season and guided Mira Costa to a 37-5 record, the Best of the West title and the Bay League championship, took a few moments to savor his first victory over Loyola but knows the rivals will likely meet again in the playoffs. The teams have met for the section title four times, Loyola winning in four sets in 2005 and 2010 and in three sets in 2024. Mira Costa prevailed in five sets in 2012. The Mustangs won the last of their eight section titles in 2021, sweeping Newport Harbor in the finals under previous coach Avery Drost. 'We haven't been healthy all week, but take nothing away from them,' said Cubs coach Mike Boehle, who has piloted his alma mater to seven section titles since taking over the program in 1999. 'It's been four years since they beat us and they played out of their minds.' Nate Garrett led the way with nine kills and Simon Capps added seven for Loyola (12-3). Blue-and-white clad supporters in the student section waved flags and chanted 'Let's go Cubs!' during introductions, but Mira Costa fans countered with 'We can't hear you!' in a timeout with their team holding a comfortable lead midway through the second set.
Los Angeles Times
06-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Prep talk: Unbeaten Mira Costa to be tested at top volleyball tournament
One of the best boys' volleyball tournaments of the season is set for Friday and Saturday at Poway High in San Diego. The Best of the West tournament features No. 1-seeded Mira Costa against the likes of Loyola, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and Mater Dei. Mira Costa has started the season at 10-0 and includes highly touted sophomore Mateo Fuerbringer. One of Mira Costa's top players has been 6-foot-11 Grayson Bradford, a transfer from Crespi and UCLA commit. … Loyola offensive lineman Nathan Turk, a junior, announced that he intends to play for Harvard in 2026. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email
