USA TODAY-Wisconsin sports writers place in top-10 at national contest

Coverage found in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was well represented in the annual Associated Press Sports Editors contest, with two of the top-10 finishers in team beat writing and another in high-school beat writing hailing from our USA TODAY Network-Wisconsin team.

Ryan Wood, a Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter who covers the Green Bay Packers, placed fourth in beat writing in Division A, and Milwaukee Brewers beat reporter Curt Hogg placed seventh. The division encompasses the largest news organizations in the country. That includes publications such as the Chicago Tribune, The Athletic, ESPN.com, the Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, Detroit Free Press and more.

Zac Bellman took 10th for his high school sports coverage of Milwaukee-area schools, also in Division A.

Contestants in the team beat writing category submitted four-part portfolios that included pieces of breaking news, event coverage, enterprise and a wild-card submission. Boston Globe reporter Adam Himmelsbach, who covers the Boston Celtics, was awarded first place.

Wood's four-part portfolio included a feature on Micah Parsons preparing for his first season with the Packers, another on Matthew Golden settling into his new home after getting drafted by the Packers, the struggles emerging from the team's predictability running inside zone and Parsons preparing for a homecoming in advance of Green Bay's game against Dallas.

Hogg, who received one of the six first-place votes, had a portfolio that included a conversation with Brewers manager Pat Murphy following the death of Bob Uecker, the Brewers' playoff loss to the Dodgers, a collection of anecdotes that reveal the character of outfielder Sal Frelick and a deep dive into the team's preoccupation with "swing decisions."

The Boston Globe also won Division A in high-school beat writing, given to Matt Porter. Again, submissions required a four-part portfolio.

Bellman's submissions included a State Supreme Court ruling about a complicated case involving a state-champion wrestler, a story about an Arrowhead football player and his own legal battle after the Warhawks' state title, the unusual new job that led a successful basketball coach to depart his program midseason and a Brookfield golfer trying to put a series of near-misses at state behind her.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sports writers Ryan Wood, Curt Hogg, Zac Bellman earn APSE top-10 honor