In 2023, The Colorado Springs Gazette was honored with several national accolades from The Associated Press Sports Editors. The newspaper’s sports section was ranked among the top 10 in both the print portfolio category and the digital category. Competing against publications such as the Daily Memphian, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, The State (Columbia, S.C.), Wichita Eagle, and Wisconsin State Journal, The Gazette stood out for its dedication to covering sports in the community.
Sports editor Brent Briggeman expressed his excitement about the recognition and attributed it to the hard work and dedication of his staff. He noted that the addition of three sports reporters over the past two years played a significant role in their success in winning APSE awards. Carson Field received his first APSE award for his profile of Colorado College goalkeeper Kaidan Mbereko in the short features category. Meanwhile, Luke Zahlmann’s examination of local preparedness at the high school level following an on-field medical emergency of Buffalo Bills defender Damar Hamlin won an award in the projects category. Zahlmann had previously been recognized for feature writing in 2022. Photo editor Christian Murdock was also recognized for an image of Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders warming up before facing Nebraska.
Overall, these accolades reflect The Colorado Springs Gazette’s commitment to providing quality sports coverage that informs and engages readers across multiple platforms.
