Journal Star's Grand Slam
Journal Star Sports Staff Achieves Rare 'Grand Slam' with 12 National APSE Honors
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The Lincoln Journal Star has pulled off one of the rarest feats in American sports journalism. The paper earned 12 national Top 10 finishes at the 2025 Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) contest, according to Journal Star — putting it in an elite group of just three news organizations to achieve what the industry calls a "Grand Slam."
The Grand Slam means a news organization finished in the Top 10 in every major category the APSE judges. Only two other outlets matched that feat this year. It is a mark of excellence across an entire sports staff, not just one writer or one story.
One Columnist Anchored the Award-Winning Run
A columnist led the Journal Star's charge, serving as the centerpiece of the paper's national showing. Journal Star reported that the columnist's work stood out among judges who reviewed sports journalism from outlets across the country. The APSE contest draws entries from hundreds of newspapers and digital outlets every year.
Winning 12 Top 10 spots is a volume achievement as much as a quality one. It means the staff produced award-worthy work across multiple categories — columns, game stories, features, and more. One strong writer alone cannot do that. It takes a full team firing on all cylinders.
What the APSE Grand Slam Actually Means
The APSE — Associated Press Sports Editors — runs one of the most respected contests in the journalism world. It grades sports coverage at papers grouped by circulation size. Finishing in the Top 10 in any single category is considered a strong result. Finishing in every major category is extraordinary.
The "Grand Slam" label is not an official APSE term — it describes what happens when a newsroom sweeps all the major judging categories with Top 10 finishes. Kearney Hub noted that only two other organizations matched the Journal Star's across-the-board performance in 2025. That rarity makes the achievement stand out even more.
A Nebraska Paper Competing on a National Stage
The Journal Star is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. It covers Cornhuskers football, recruiting, and Big Ten sports — topics that draw intense local interest but also compete for national attention. Finishing in the Top 10 nationally means going up against sports desks at much larger papers in bigger markets.
NP Telegraph highlighted that the honor reflects years of investment in sports journalism at a regional paper. For smaller and mid-size newsrooms facing industry-wide cuts, a haul like 12 national honors sends a clear message: strong local sports coverage can still compete at the highest level.
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