Junior Kamryn Bradbury placed 4th in Yearbook Caption Writing at the IHSA State Finals in Normal, Illinois, this past Friday.
Bradbury is the first to ever place at state since they first started qualifying in 2024. She was named the IHSA Sectionals Champion in Yearbook Caption Writing, giving her a big confidence boost for the State competition.
“I am extremely proud of Kam, she has come a long way since sophomore year and people can learn a lot from her,” said Haley Kurtz, the Digital Production teacher.
After talking to Bradbury, she said she prepared for State by doing practice prompts and attending a class at the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association (NISPA) when on a field trip.
“I felt really confident in myself because I trust my skills, and I was beyond excited for all my other team members who made it with me,” Bradbury said. “I really didn’t expect to win anything.”
Top six were announced and medaled in an awards ceremony, with Bradbury being the only one from Freeport. There were around 21 other journalists in each category, which left the Pretzels feeling proud.
Along with Bradbury, nine other members qualified for the competition and are listed below.
- Devine Johnson- Editorial Cartooning
- Myles Moore- Headline Writing and Review Writing
- Steven Van- News Writing
- Kiptyn Reisenbichler- Photo Story Telling
- Diego Robles Sanchez- Radio News
- Zaida Dose- Sports Writing
- Eden Helm- Yearbook Copy Writing
- Ellie Marten and Madelyne Spaide- Yearbook Theme Development
“It was really cool to have a opportunity to go to state, and seeing other students who were also working to try to win was cool,” said Dose.
The team had competed in the IHSA Sectionals competition two weeks prior and placed second overall, but also placed in the top three of each of their individual categories to qualify for State.
This was Bradbury’s first appearance in both Sectionals and State. Her teachers are excited for what she will do in her senior year.
