Scholarships
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 LAST ROW PARTY SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Deadline News — Jakyra Green, Goshen University
Feature Writing — Tory Basile, Indiana University
Sports Writing — Matt Press, Indiana University
Read their winning entries below.
“Tory tells the whole story of people and does a great job making us feel, see and hear them and their feelings,” the judges said.
“Matt grabs the reader’s attention and makes readers feel the action,” the judges said. “This is what sports writing is all about.”
“The on-the-spot relevant information and key facts is spot on – great reporting,” the judges said.
Among the scholarships the IPCF hands out are:
The following scholarships are sponsored by IMS
Last Row Party Scholarship Award
Each year, the Indianapolis Press Club foundation hands out three Last Row Party Scholarship awards for deadline news, features and sports writing. The awards – $1,031, $1032 and $1,033 – mirror the checks handed out to the last row drivers in the Indianapolis 500. The drivers receive checks for 31, 32 and 33 cents and are honored at our Last Row Party at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We are grateful to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for sponsoring these scholarships.
Congratulations 2023 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Congratulations 2021 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 19 entries for these scholarship awards, which are sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship check and award certificate at our Last Row Party on May 25.
Green
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Jakyra Green, Goshen College
Read Green’s stories:
Basile
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Tory Basile, Indiana University
Read Basile’s stories:
Press
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Matt Press, Indiana University
Read Press’ stories:
Congratulations 2022 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Congratulations 2021 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 26 entries for these scholarship awards, which are sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each winner received a $1,000 scholarship check and award certificate at our Last Row Party on May 26.
Richer
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Sierra Ross Richer, Goshen College
Read Richer’s stories:
McCormick
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Grace McCormick, Ball State University
Read McCormick’s stories:
Piatt
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Matt Cohen, Indiana University
Read Cohen’s stories:
Congratulations 2021 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Congratulations 2021 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 32 entries for this competition. The winners will receive their checks by mail since we had to cancel the 2021 at Last Row Party for safety reasons.
Miller (top) Wooten (bottom)
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNERS: Mackenzie Miller, Goshen College & Taylor Wooten, Franklin College
Read Miller’s stories:
Read Wooten’s stories:
FINALIST: None
Molloy
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Mary Claire Molloy, Indiana University
Read Molloy’s stories:
FINALIST: None
Piatt
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Zach Piatt, Ball State Univesity
Read Piatt’s stories:
FINALIST: Samantha Hartman, Butler University
Congratulations 2020 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Congratulations 2020 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 61 entries for these scholarship awards, which are sponsored by Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each winner received a $1,000 scholarship check in the mail since we had to cancel the event because of the pandemic.
Irish
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Erica Irish, Franklin College
Read Irish’s stories:
FINALIST: Annabel Aguiar – Indiana University
Aguiar
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Annabel Aguiar, Indiana University
Read Aguiar’s stories:
FINALIST: Mary Bernard, University of Notre Dame
Piatt
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Zach Piatt, Ball State Univesity
Read Piatt’s stories:
FINALIST: Jared Rigdon, Indiana University
Congratulations 2019 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Congratulations 2019 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 42 entries for these scholarship awards, which are sponsored by Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each winner received a $1,000 scholarship check and award certificate at our Last Row Party on May 23, 2019.
Boufford
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Hannah Boufford, Indiana University
Read Boufford’s stories:
FINALIST: Maddy McTigue – DePauw University
Irish
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Erica Irish, Franklin College
Read Irish’s stories:
FINALIST: Peter Talbot, Indiana University
Ringdon
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Jared Ringdon, Indiana Univesity
Read Ringdon’s stories:
FINALIST: Zach Piatt, Ball State University
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Congratulations 2018 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Congratulations 2018 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 49 entries for these scholarship awards, which are sponsored by Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Each winner received a $1,000 scholarship check and award certificate at our Last Row Party on May 24, 2018.
Telford, Richey, Guskey
(L-R)
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Taylor Telford, Indiana University
Read Telford’s stories:
FINALIST: Adrianna Pitrelli, Franklin College
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Zoie Richey, Franklin College
Read Richey’s stories:
FINALIST: Katie Grieze, Ball State University
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Jordan Guskey, Indiana Univesity
Read Guskey’s stories:
FINALIST: Sarah Bahr, IUPUI
2017 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
2017 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The Indianapolis Press Club Foundation received 60 entries for these scholarship awards, which are sponsored by Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year, we had two winners in the feature-writing category. Each winner received a scholarship check of $1,000 and certificate at our Last Row Party on May 25, 2017.
Allie Kirkman
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Allie Kirkman, Ball State University
Read Kirkman’s stories:
FINALIST: Taylor Telford (Indiana University), Adrianna Pitrelli (Franklin College)
Alan Hovorka
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Alan Hovorka, Ball State University
Read Hovorka’s stories:
WINNER: Sarah Gardner, Indiana University
Read Gardner’s stories:
FINALIST: Liz Meuser (Indiana University), Sarah Bahr (IUPUI)
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Renee Griffin, University of Notre Dame
Read Griffin’s stories:
FINALIST: Elizabeth Wyman (Ball State University), Michael Williams (IUPUI)
2016 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
2016 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
The press club foundation received 70 entries for these three scholarship awards — the highest number of entries since these scholarships began in 2014.
Alexandra Kincaid, right, receives her Last Row Party Scholarship Feature Writing Award from Foundation Executive Director Jenny Labalme
Feature Writing
Feature Writing
WINNER: Alexandra Kincaid, Ball State University
Read Kincaid’s stories:
Deadline News
Deadline News
WINNER: Megan Jula, Indiana University
Read Jula’s stories:
Sports Reporting
Sports Reporting
WINNER: Brody Miller, Indiana University
Read Miller’s Stories:
2015 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
2015 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
DEADLINE NEWS WRITING – Jacob Rund, Franklin College
FEATURE WRITING – Samantha Schmidt, Indiana University
SPORTS WRITING – Evan Hoopfer, Indiana University
2014 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
2014 Last Row Party Scholarship Award Winners
Andrew Mishler, Jessica Contrera & Chelsea Barras
(Left-Right)
ANDREW MISHLER – Sports Writing (Ball State University).
JESSICA CONTRERA – News and Feature Writing (Indiana University).
CHELSEA BARRAS – IMS 2014 Summer Intern (Indiana University).
In partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Foundation awarded cash prizes on May 22, 2014 for news, features and sports writing. The awards — $1,031, $1,032 and $1,033 — mirror the checks the last row drivers receive for 31, 32 and 33 cents.