Cal's athletic communications staff has taken home four District 8 awards in the 2021-22 CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest.

The annual contest recognizes the best writing produced by athletic departments across the country in a variety of different categories. A panel of regional judges selects the top-two stories in each district, and national awards are handed out as well.

Cal is part of District 8, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai'I, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, British Columbia and Yukon.

CalBears.com managing editor Jonathan Okanes was the runner-up in a pair of categories in District 8. His feature on former Cal rugby player Robert Paylor's inspirational comeback from a broken neck was recognized in the "General Feature" category while his story on men's swimming & diving coach David Durden's rise to the top of his profession earned honors in the "Coach/Administrator Profile" category.

Assistant Athletic Communications Director Jared Prescott received runner-up accolades in the "Social Justice/Diversity & Inclusion" category for his feature on the Cal's women's gymnastics team's virtual visit with students from Everett Middle School in San Francisco to talk about the impact and importance of Black History Month.

Assistant Athletic Communications Director Keeler McJunkin also had a runner-up entry in the "Athlete Profile" category for his breathtaking story of the family of volleyball star Mima Mirkovic, and their efforts to escape Serbia during the Kosovo War in the late 1990s.

The four awards were the most collected by any institution in District 8 and tied four the fourth-most in the country.