Seattle, WA­­­— The Seattle Times won 11 “top 10” awards at the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) annual contest in results released this week at the 2015 APSE Winter Conference in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Seattle Times earned its first ‘Grand Slam’ which was achieved by winning four top 10 awards in the daily, Sunday and special sections in its circulation category as well as for its website. Some of the other newspapers securing ‘Grand Slam’ recognitions this year included The Washington Post and The New York Times. The digital award was also a first, distinguishing The Times website and mobile app in the competition against the largest sports websites in the country.

Geoff Baker won two individual writing awards, chosen in the explanatory writing category for his coverage of the Super Bowl ticket scandal, one of the worst ticket debacles in American sports history and in breaking news for his story about the Seahawks’ investigation before drafting Frank Clark. Baker won in the explanatory category a year earlier. Larry Stone and Matt Calkins each earned awards for column writing, and Jayson Jenks was honored in features for his story about Doug Baldwin. In the investigative category, Mike Baker and Josh Liebeskind were recognized for their story about allegations that Bellevue High School violated recruiting and eligibility rules. A video previewing the 2015 Seahawks season also was voted among the nation’s top 10.

“For years, readers in the Pacific Northwest have relied on our sports reporting. This is a team achievement in every sense, from reporters and the desk to the editors and producers in sports,” Times sports editor Don Shelton said. “We’ve never won in the website category, and this is our first APSE ‘Grand Slam’. We’re truly honored to be recognized by our peers.”

Publisher and CEO Frank Blethen added, “It is this type of effort and cooperation that is key to our present and our future—relevant, unique content that our readers value. Being awarded in the digital category certainly validates our recent strategic efforts to provide innovative engaging platforms. Thank you to all who earned this for us.”

Top 10 awards won in the 75,000 to 175,000 circulation category

• The Sunday section, having 1.2 million monthly readers
• The special section previewing the 2015 Super Bowl
• The explanatory award for a story by Geoff Baker: Fans still reeling from Super Bowl ticket nightmare
• Breaking news award for a story by Geoff Baker: Hawks didn’t interview witnesses to ugly hotel incident involving draft pick Frank Clark
• Column writing award for columnist Matt Calkins
• Column writing award for columnist Larry Stone
• Feature story by Jayson Jenks: Doug Baldwin struggles to find balance between football and life
• Short video for the Seahawks season preview by Lauren Frohne, Corinne Chin, Katie G. Cotterill, Bettina Hansen, Bob Condotta and Mike Siegel: Window of Opportunity: Seahawks 2015 season preview

Top 10 award won in over-175,000 circulation category

• The digital contest, chosen for the sports website and mobile app that reach 5.1 million visitors monthly 

Top 10 award won in all circulation categories

• Investigative story by Mike Baker and Josh Liebeskind: Bellevue High’s football success aided by ‘diploma mill’

The Yakima Herald-Republic, owned by The Seattle Times, also won APSE awards receiving three top 10 honors. Their website was recognized in the digital contest and their annual Fall prep football section received the special section award. Scott Sandsberry was selected in the features contest for his story on rodeo cowboy Steven Peebles’ comeback after a life threatening injury. The Herald competes in the under-30,000 circulation category.

APSE awards are given each year in voting by a panel of peers from editors across the country. The Times will be honored at the APSE Summer Conference Awards Banquet on June 25 in Charlotte, N.C. Rankings and winners for individual awards will be released later.

The Seattle Times has won five ‘Triple Crowns’ – top 10 awards in all three print categories – and 37 best-section or website awards since becoming a morning paper in 2000.

Find sports coverage from our award-winning news team at seattletimes.com/sports.