The Sequim Gazette earned 20 team or individual awards in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2017 Better Newspaper Contest.

Reporters Matthew Nash and Erin Hawkins, editor Michael Dashiell, former special sections editor Patricia Morrison Coate and former reporter Alana Linderoth were among those honored as the professionals recognized top industry work at Washington non-daily and small daily newspapers at the association’s annual convention, held in Olympia from Oct. 12-14.

With 59 participating newspapers, this year’s WNPA Better Newspaper Contest saw 2,063 entries, including 1,211 news division entries. Stories, photos, page designs, advertisements and digital content from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, were submitted; contest judges were working professionals with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

The Sequim Gazette, a Sound Publishing newspaper, is in Group 3, the second-largest of the WNPA’s four circulation groups. Group 3 includes Port Townsend’s The Leader, the Lynden Tribune, the Shelton-Mason County Journal, Whidbey News-Times and others.

The Gazette earned second place in the category General Excellence, an award that honors all-around newswriting and editorial content, photography, design and advertising.

The Shelton-Mason County Journal earned first place in Group 3; Sound Publishing’s Bremerton Patriot was third.

“I continue to be extremely pleased with our outstanding team of news and marketing professionals. It’s great to see them recognized for their excellent work serving our communities,” said Terry Ward, regional publisher of the North Olympic Peninsula and Kitsap County Sound Publishing publications.

In addition, Jonel Lyons, multimedia advertising sales consultant at the Sequim Gazette, was the winner of the Pinnacle Award, given to the WNPA member who records the highest sales in WNPA statewide advertisements.

See www.wnpa.com for more about the association or the awards.

Below are the Sequim Gazette’s 2017 Better Newspaper Contest awards:

Writing, design, web content

Matthew Nash

• Second place, Video (“Sequim Lavender Weekend,” July 2016)

Erin Hawkins

• First place, Environmental Writing (“Saving the Hemlock,” March 29)

Michael Dashiell

• First place, Sports News Story (“Wolves nab six medals at state,” June 1)

• First place, Online Photo Essay (“Sequim’s Vern Frykholm, Sr.,” Sept. 6, 2016)

• Second place, News Story-Long (“Sequim man critically hurt in Mexico,” July 13)

• Second place, Feature Page Design (“Cycling through history,” March 15, 2017)

• Second place, Online Photo Essay (“Graduation Walk,” June 10, 2016)

• Third place, Feature Page Design (“Journey to South America,” March 8, 2017)

• Third place, Sports News Story (“Eatonville upends Sequim,” Nov. 9)

• Third place, Editorial Pages

Special sections

Patricia Morrison Coate

• Third place, Lifestyle/Culture (Living on the Peninsula, Explore your national park, Summer 2016)

Sequim Gazette staff

• Third place, Tourism/Community Guide (North Olympic Peninsula Visitor’s Guide, Spring/Summer 2017)

Photography

Staff (Patricia Morrison Coate, Michael Dashiell, Alana Linderoth)

• Second place, Color Photo Essay (Irrigation Festival Wrap, May 18, 2016)

Matthew Nash

• First place, Color Sports Action (“Rugby Race,” April 13, 2016)

• Second place, Sports Photo Black/White (“Grip and Grimace,” Feb. 1, 2017)

• Third place, General News (“Waving in the Lavender,” July 20, 2016)

Michael Dashiell

• First place, Sports Photo-Black/White (“Point Guard, for the Block,” Dec. 7, 2016)

• Second place, Feature/Portrait/Pictorial-Black/White (“One Lump or Two?” Aug. 10, 2016)

• Third place, Sports Photo-Black/White (“Wolves get a Lift,” Nov. 16, 2016)