(20 entries)

Judge: Sandy Block, personal finance columnist, USA Today

First Place
DAWN GILBERTSON and PETER CORBETT
The Arizona Republic
"AmWest stays at controls"
"An extremely thorough analysis, despite deadline pressure and what appeared to be minimal cooperation from the airlines involved. I was particularly impressed with the sidebar, which laid out the reasons the merger didn't happen, and gave readers an idea of what was ahead for America West."

Second Place
DONNA HOGAN
The Tribune
"Phoenix offers Marriott suite deal"
"This reporter waded through what I imagined were complicated legal documents and told readers what they really needed to know: how much THEY were going to pony up for this new hotel. An excellent example of digging out the real story on deadline."

Third Place
PAUL GIBLIN
The Tribune
"AlliedSignal Oks settlement"
"The story does an excellent job of reporting both the news and the larger ramifications. I liked the way the reporter stepped back and let the former employees tell the story. Nice tie-in to Supreme Court review of age discrimination on inside page."

Honorable Mention
JAMES AHLERS
The Tribune
"Rosarita closes Mesa plant after 44 years"
"I loved this story. Plant closing are a regular staple of business news, but this one captured the human element in a memorable way. The laid-off workers were treated with compassion and dignity. The reporter also did a fine job weaving the plant's interesting history into the narrative."