XENIA — Xenia Daily Gazette and Fairborn Daily Herald managing editor Scott Halasz was second in the best feature writer category in Division I of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors’ 2022 newspaper contest.

Nearly 80 daily newspapers submitted 1,302 entries in the contest, which featured news and sports stories, features, editorials, columns, graphics and photos from 2020. Xenia Daily Gazette and Fairborn Daily Herald entries were submitted in Division I, which is for newspapers with circulations up to 7,999 and contains the most newspapers.

Halasz’s entries were stories about Middle Run Baptist Church’s anniversary, two sets of triplets graduating from Greeneview High School, a Beavercreek native who is the strength and conditioning coach for the Los Angeles Rams, and the life and legacy of Phil Anderson.

Entries were judged by editors from The Detroit News and The Detroit Free Press, Division V; The Grand Haven (Michigan) Tribune, Division IV; The McComb Daily (Michigan), Division III; Mount Pleasant (Michigan) Morning Sun, and MLive Media Group, Division II; The Holland (Michigan) Sentinel and the Alpena (Michigan) News, Division I.

In 2021 Halasz finished second in the feature writer category and third in the sports feature writer category. In 2020 he was second in the sports writer category and in 2019 was named best columnist.