This spring, the National Press Photographers Association, the Virginia Press Association, and the New Jersey Press Association had at least one thing in common: They all honored Cavalier Daily alumni.

Former photo editor Nancy Andrews was named the nation’s top newspaper photojournalist by the National Press Photographers Association and the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Andrews, now a photographer with The Washington Post, captured first place in the Pictures of the Year competition, which among photographers is generally considered more prestigious than the Pulitzer Prize.

"Photographers often disagree with what wins Pulitzers; they seldom disagree with what wins this," Andrews said. "I have a lot of respect for this competition because it is judged blind and looks at a photographer’s entire portfolio."

More than 1,700 photographers submitted nearly 29,000 photographs in this year’s competition. Andrews’ portfolio consisted of 63 photographs taken from her coverage of the Washington, DC, area as well as regional issues such as the enrollment of women at Virginia Military Institute.

Andrews served as photo editor for The Cavalier Daily in 1984-85 and managing editor the following year.

Five Cavalier Daily alumni received awards from the Virginia Press Association during its annual competition.

Matt Branson, managing editor in 1993-94, sports editor the previous year and now with The Northern Virginia Daily in Strasburg, won first place for sports feature writing and second place for sports column writing for papers with a circulation of under 20,000.

Eric Snyder, who is also with The Northern Virginia Daily, won first place for sports column writing and second place for sports feature writing. He was CD sports editor in 1994-95.

Steve DeShazo, CD sports editor in 1984-85, also won second place for sports column writing. He now writes for the Fredericksburg, VA, Free Lance-Star, which boasts a circulation between 20,000 and 49,999.

A third place award for sports event writing went to Dan Uthman of The Roanoke Times, which competes in the 50,000 and above circulation group. Uthman was CD sports editor from 1992 to 1993.

In the largest non-daily publication category, Eric Hoover won third place for in-depth or investigative reporting for Charlottesville’s C-Ville Weekly. Hoover served as CD executive editor in 1996-97.

Not to be outdone by its alumni, the current staff of The Cavalier Daily came home with a number of awards.

Unlike most other college newspapers, which are judged in a separate category, The Cavalier Daily competes against professional daily papers with a circulation of under 20,000.

Emily Heil won first place for home and leisure writing; David Martin won second place for critical writing; and Julia Miller took third place for column writing. At the time of the competition, Heil was life editor, Martin was an arts and entertainment associate editor, and Miller was opinion editor.

Miller and her coeditor Noel Paul together won second place for excellence of editorial pages. Paul is now executive editor.