BY ROBERT DIGITALE

She’s been writing the news, but one day she may help make it in Washington D.C.

Healdsburg High’s Rebecca Friedemann, a senior who in September will attend the University of Pennsylvania, was named the outstanding high school journalist Thursday at the 62nd Annual Redwood Empire Excellence in Journalism Contest.

Below you will find the complete list of winners for the contest sponsored by The Press Democrat. Once again the overall excellence award for a high school newspaper went to Petaluma’s Casa Grande High. The Gaucho Gazette’s staff won first place in 10 of the event’s 14 categories, including in-depth reporting, news photography, feature story and design and layout.

Friedemann, 17, editor for two years of the Healdsburg High Hound’s Bark, served as a Congressional intern in Washington last summer. After college, she wants to return there to work.

“My dream job is to be a chief of staff on Capitol Hill,” she said. She also wants to write for the news web site Politico.

What will she remember most about her three years on the school paper? “The late nights,” she said. Working with fellow students until midnight to get out a new edition really makes you appreciate one another.

For Casa Grande’s staff, the day included plenty of applause. Adviser Gay Robbins said the class has 33 students, nearly all of whom posed for the picture below.

Joint editors-in-chief Johanna Fleischman and Elvis Wong credited the dedication of their staff members.

“I’m really proud for all our journalists because they worked really hard,” Fleischman said.

Thursday’s awards were held at the newspaper’s printing plant in Rohnert Park. Students ate pizza and salad while seated at tables between two long rows of machines that place advertising inserts into each day’s edition. The youth also took tours of the plant and its presses.

Here are the names of all the award winners:

Advertising

1^st Place: Johanna Fleischman, Elvis Wong, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Rebecca Friedemann, Healdsburg

3^rd Place: Suzanne McNamara, Elvis Wong, Johanna Fleischman, Casa Grande

Column

1^st Place: Macile Dietrick, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Nick Pimentel, Maria Carrillo

3^rd Place: Kaeleigh Reynolds, Healdsburg

Design and Layout

1^st Place: Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Maria Carrillo

3^rd Place: Healdsburg

Editorial

1^st Place: Rebecca Friedemann, Healdsburg

2^nd Place: Samantha Salek, Sonoma Valley

Tie 3^rd Place: Erin Schmidt, Maria Carrillo

Tie 3^rd Place: Kelsey Dayton, Montgomery

Feature Story – Human Interest

1^st Place: Camille Gasser, Kelsey Matzen, T.J. Grayson, Maggie Pieper, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Heidi Hirvonen, Maria Carrillo

3^rd Place: Kenny Kasper, Marianna Mapes, Maria Carrillo

In-Depth Reporting

1^st Place: Samira Bokaie, Caitlin Griffin, Ashley Moffett, Camille Gasser, Kelsey Matzen, Ashley Slack, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Mikaela Beloberk, Kelsey McDonald, Alan Ramey, Santa Rosa

3^rd Place: Kathleen Schaefer, Johanna Fleischman, Ashley Moffett, Maggie Pieper, Amy Jin, Casa Grande

News Story

1^st Place: Gabriella Fleischman, Kelsey Matzen, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Heidi Hirvonen, Maria Carrillo

3^rd Place: Johanna Fleischman, Casa Grande

Honorable Mention: Laura Pratz, Rancho Cotate

Photography, Feature

1^st Place: Forrest Wang, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Karinne Cusenza, Maria Carrillo

3^rd Place: Mikaela Beloberk, Santa Rosa

Photography, News

1^st Place: Johanna Fleischman, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Jordan Albertson, Sonoma Valley

3^rd Place: Karinne Cusenza, Maria Carrillo

Photography, Sports

1^st Place: Celine Sargis, Santa Rosa

2^nd Place: Jordan Albertson, Sonoma Valley

3^rd Place: Jordan Albertson, Sonoma Valley

Review

1^st Place: Nate Hromalik, Casa Grande

2^nd Place: Savannah Berry, Kaeleigh Reynolds, Healdsburg

3^rd Place: Itxaso Garay, Casa Grande

Sports Feature Story

1^st Place: Marianna Mapes, Maria Carrillo

2^nd Place: Samira Bokaie, Nate Hromalik, Shawna Brown, Elvis Wong, Camille Gasser, Emily Welter, Casa Grande

3^rd Place: Arianna Maysonave, Sonoma Valley

Sports News

1^st Place: Miranda Owen, Santa Rosa

2^nd Place: Joey Ellicott, Casa Grande

Tie 3rd Place: Johanna Fleischman, Casa Grande

Tie 3^rd Place: Allison Ashley, Sonoma Academy

Overall Excellence

1^st Place: Casa Grande, Gaucho Gazette

2^nd Place: Maria Carrillo, Puma Prensa

Tie 3^rd Place: Santa Rosa, The Santa Rosan

Tie 3^rd Place: Ukiah, Ukiahilite

Oustanding Journalist: Rebecca Friedemann, Healdsburg

Overall Champion: Casa Grande