Past presidents headline 31st Best Writing Contest winners

DALLAS (FWAA) – Two former first-place winners and three other FWAA household names claimed top honors in the 31st Annual FWAA Best Writing Contest presented by collegepressbox announced today.

Multiple past winners Ivan Maisel, now an author, and Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com, won in the Column and Enterprise categories, respectively. Dodd had an assist from teammate Shehan Jeyarajah, also from CBSSports.com.

The other two first-place winners were David Ubben of The Athletic, who had a second-place finish a year ago and was the FWAA’s inaugural winner of the Edward Aschoff Rising Star Award in 2020, and Brandon Marcello of 247 Sports, a multi-platform talent who won in in the 31st Annual Game Story category.

FWAA members who collected two awards in this contest were: Glenn Guilbeau, Outkick/Fox News, (Third and Honorable Mention); Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman (two Honorable Mentions); John Feinstein of the Washington Post (Second and Honorable Mention); Ubben (First and Honorable Mention); and Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com (two Third Places in combinations with other ESPN.com teammates listed below).  

First-place winners will receive game balls from Big Game and collegepressbox. Finishers 1-3 receive cash prizes and certificates. Honorable mentions receive certificates. The first-place entries will be featured on-line over a period of four days.

GAME STORY

  • First Place – Brandon Marcello, 247Sports
  • Second Place – David Teel, Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • Third Place – Travis L. Brown, Bryan-College Station Eagle
  • Honorable Mention – David Ubben, The Athletic; Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com; Glenn Guilbeau,  Outkick/FOX News

FEATURE STORY

  • First Place – David Ubben, The Athletic
  • Second Place – John Feinstein, The Washington Post
  • Third Place – Mark Schlabach and Alex Scarborough, ESPN.com
  • Honorable Mention – Chris Tomasson, St. Paul Pioneer Press; Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com; Chris Vannini, The Athletic

COLUMN

  • First Place – Ivan Maisel, On3.com
  • Second Place – Luke DeCock,The News & Observer
  • Third Place – Glenn Guilbeau, Outkick/FOX News
  • Honorable Mention – Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; John Feinstein, Washington Post; Michael Collins, Fansided

ENTERPRISE

  • First Place – Dennis Dodd and Shehan Jeyarajah, CBSSports.com
  • Second Place – Ryan McGee, ESPN.com
  • Third Place – Mark Schlabach, Andrea Adelson, David M. Hale & Adam Rittenberg, ESPN.com
  • Honorable Mention – James Crepea, The Oregonian; Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Wilson Alexander, The Advocate