ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale poses for a photo with the OMG Class of 2026 seniors at the program’s annual banquet on May 3 at the Athens Cotton Press. The OMG was recognized by the National Scholastic Press Association in the organization’s bi-annual Clips & Clicks contest, an award Ragsdale attributed to the support of the OMG community. “From our families to our administrators to district personnel, our kids are put in a position to be successful if they strive for it,” Ragsdale said. “High expectations and support go a long way towards success.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
The ODYSSEY Media Group placed fifth in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Spring 2026 Clips & Clicks contest.
The 2025-26 ODYSSEY Media Group earned recognition in individual awards and fifth place overall in the National Scholastic Press Association’s Spring 2026 Clips & Clicks contest, announced Sept. 16.
The national competition recognized student journalism produced from Dec. 13, 2025 through May 8. Of the 600 submissions from across the nation, 114, approximately 19%, received recognition from judges, who included student media advisers, collegiate professors and professional journalists.
The ODYSSEY earned individual honors across multiple categories, with those awards contributing points towards the publication’s fifth-place Sweepstakes Finish.
“The judges consistently said they were very impressed with the quality of the entries submitted,” NSPA Associate Director Gary Lundgren stated in a press release.
Clips & Clicks was established as a competition in 2020 and is a biannual competition recognizing current student work in areas ranging from reporting, design, social media, and more. Sweepstakes standings are determined by points earned through individual awards, with first place receiving 10 points and honorable mention securing five.
For OMG founder and adviser David A. Ragsdale, the contest provides an opportunity to evaluate student work against the top programs in the nation.
“When I see who our work goes up against, I know that our kids are competing with the big dogs in the field of scholastic journalism,” Ragsdale said. “It’s awesome to place in the Top 5 in the nation and I hope our kids realize how important their work truly is.”
Clips & Clicks awards are presented twice each year, recognizing work completed in the fall and spring semesters. The spring 2026 results contribute to NSPA’s annual Sweepstakes standings. The full list of winners is available on the NSPA website.
““From the time we first entered Clips & Clicks, it provided a mid-year and end-of-year checkpoint to gauge how our students were progressing.”
— David Ragsdale,
OMG founder and adviser
Entries are evaluated by professional journalists and educators, who judge submissions based on writing quality, visual storytelling, technical execution and overall impact. For ODYSSEY, recognition in multiple categories reflects not just individual talent but also the collaborative effort in the newsroom.
“From the time we first entered Clips & Clicks, it provided a mid-year and end-of-year checkpoint to gauge how our students were progressing not just in regard to our own media group, but in a national context,” ODYSSEY Media Group founder and adviser David Ragsdale said.
ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine Clips & Clicks Awards:
Finley Sleppy, iliad — First Place, Design: Magazine Page/Spread — “A 16-Year-Old’s Guide to Adulthood”
Edie Ash, ODYSSEY — First Place, Reporting & Writing: Opinion — “Thoughts, Prayers, IG”
Samaya Ellis, ODYSSEY — Second Place, Broadcast: Sports Story — “Boys Varsity Track Team Breaks Records”
Emlyn McKinney, ODYSSEY — Second Place, Design: Newspaper/Newsmagazine Front Page — “Time to Speak Out”
ODYSSEY staff — Second Place, Reporting & Writing: Editorial — “Our Take: ESOL”
Liza Larson, ODYSSEY — Fourth Place, Design: Newspaper/Newsmagazine Page/Spread — “Running Past Records”
Kye Streetman, ODYSSEY — Honorable Mention, Reporting & Writing: Sports Story — “In Her DNA”
