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The Austin Daily Herald claimed two first place finishes out of an 11-award effort in the Minnesota Better Newspaper Awards Contest, announced during the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s annual convention last week.

Rocky Hulne received a first place award in the Sports Story category for his story “Youth Charge,” which featured several young head coaches who graduated from area schools and are now leading programs of their own.

Hulne also claimed second place in the Sports Reporting category.

Eric Johnson was awarded first place in the Feature Photo category, winning with a photo taken during the Independence Day Parade of the Lions Go-Karters while looking over the shoulder of member Taggart Medgaarden. He also had a second place in Portrait and Personality as well as third place finishes in Sports Photo, News Photo and Business Story.

Overall the Herald won second place for Use of Photography as a Whole and Best Magazine along with third place in the same category and a third place in Headline Writing.