The Wildcat online news publication continues to distinguish itself as a premier student news publication, earning multiple prestigious honors that reflect the talent and teamwork of its student journalists.
For the second consecutive year, the Wildcat staff earned the School News Online (SNO) Distinguished Sites badge, an elite recognition awarded to publications that demonstrate excellence across digital journalism, writing, design, multimedia, accessibility, and audience engagement. During the 2025–26 school year, only 10 publications nationwide—out of 476 participating high schools and universities—have earned the honor to date.
According to Adviser Alex Koers, the recognition highlights both the strength and depth of the Wildcat staff. “We’ve been blessed with another exceptional group of writers,” Koers said. “While the requirement for the Writing Excellence badge—one of the six badges that make up the Distinguished Sites honor—is just one ‘Best of SNO’ recognition, we’ve already earned 12 ‘Best of…’ awards this year, and more than 40 since 2020.”
The SNO Distinguished Sites badge is comprised of six individual areas of excellence, making the recognition a true reflection of the publication’s overall quality. Koers emphasized that every student on staff played a role in achieving this milestone. “It’s a total team effort,” he said. “Because the six badges assess practically every element of the site and of student journalism, every single one of the kids contributed in some way—whether with their writing, photography, artwork, editing, podcasting, or video producing.”
Despite competing against programs with significantly larger staffs and greater resources, the Wildcat continues to excel on the national stage. Koers also highlighted the leadership of the publication’s Editors-in-Chief, Siena Codekas and Sofia Rodriguez.
Adding to an already remarkable year, this month, the Wildcat was also named a Crown Award Finalist by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), one of the highest honors in scholastic journalism. The Crown Awards recognize overall excellence, placing the Wildcat among the top student publications in its category nationwide.
Reflecting on the recent achievements, Koers shared his pride in the students and their work. “I’m incredibly proud of our student journalists for the outstanding work they do and for their commitment to producing great journalism,” he said. “It’s truly a whole-team effort to achieve this feat—and to achieve it so soon. It’s a thrill to see them being recognized, honored, and awarded for their talents, effort, and character.”
To view the Wildcat’s full collection of “Best of SNO” recognitions, visit breaolindawildcat.com