(20 entries)

Judge: Gerald Ensley, Tallahassee Democrat Ensley was a finalist in the 1999 IRE awards.

First place
JEFF TUCKER
Arizona Daily Sun
"Teen tobacco regulations in Flagstaff"
"Far and away the best entry. Clear, concise writing with wide-ranging reporting that followed a news topic from start to finish."

Second place
ALIA RAU
Arizona Daily Sun
"Firefighters series"
"Exhaustive, detailed look at the life of local firefighters, which showed lots of work by the reporter."

Third place
DOUG MURPHY
Ahwatukee Foothills News
"Airport flight patterns"
"Good bulldogging of topic by reporter. Could have used some national perspective."

Honorable mention
MEGAN RUTHERFORD
West Valley View
"Slumlords"
"Good reporting on an important topic."