January - Feature - 1st place - Brenna Koback of Holland raises her arms as she runs into the pond during the Springfield Splash at Community Homecoming Park in Holland. Several dozen people celebrated the new year by taking a cold water dip. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
January - Feature - 3rd place - Greg Freyer of Martin drills a hole for ice fishing at East Harbor State Park in Lakeside Marblehead. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
January - General News - 3rd place - Grace Charles, 16, who attends Toledo Early College, falls on the ice while skating with her colleagues in the SMARTS (Students Making Achievements Right This Second) program at the Glass City Metropark in Toledo. Toledo Public Schools leadership established the Students Making Achievements Right This Second or “SMARTS” program as a way to engage high school students by empowering students to identify and improve their schools and communities. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
January - Portrait - 1st place - Former Libbey High School basketball coach Leroy Bates of Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - HM - Feature - Austin D’Amore of Toledo ice fishes at Olander Park in Sylvania. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - 2nd place - General News - Volker Jeschonnek and his wife Sabine Elke Jeschonnek, both originally from Germany, celebrate becoming US citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Toledo Club. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - 3rd place - General News - Christina Rodriguez, Executive Director of Mom’s House, reacts to a surprise $25,000 donation from SMART Local 33 representatives Matt Cherry (right) and Mike Garber, holding the check, while a tour of Laurie's Place, which is under construction in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - HM - General News - Sunshine Communities resident Jeff Popelik, who wrote a book with help from AI and under the pen name Jeffrey Joseph Roman, gets a hug from Jim Bell, a retired employee, before signing copies of his book, “16 Short Stories” att Sunshine Communities in Maumee. Mr. Popelik insisted that Mr. Bell get the first copy. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - HM - General News - A sinkhole has formed at the intersection of Maplewood Avenue and Islington Street in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - 2nd place - Portrait - Bowling Green State University Greenhouse Manager Evili Martins with a Konjac plant at BGSU in Bowling Green. The Konjac is native to eastern Asia, the small, unassuming plant quickly creates an undeniable stench likened to a dead animal when it blooms a single purple flower each year, aiming to attract flies and other potential pollinator. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
February - 3rd place - Spot News - Firefighters work to put a blaze at a warehouse near Bancroft Street and Smead Avenue in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - Feature - 3rd place - Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz poses for a funny picture with members of the Kid City Council and the new Kid Mayor (at right) Dash Harden,10, at One Government Center in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - General News - 1st place - University of Toledo fourth-year medical student Jessica Williams celebrates finding out her residency will be done at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospital Rainbow Pediatrics in Cleveland during the annual Match Day celebration at the Stranahan Theater in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - General News - HM - Fifth graders Camden Brown (left) and James Spangler react to missing an answer during a Quiz Bowl match against their teachers at Jackman Road Elementary in Temperance, Michigan. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - Illustration - 2nd place - Lavender mimosa (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - Illustration - 3rd place - Mushroom Pulled Pork Sandwich (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - Portrait - 2nd place - Former Toledo Fire Chief Brian Byrd, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent treatment, at his home in Holland. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - Spot News - 1st place - From left, Marie Pattin, Katrina Moore, and a person who declined to give their name at the scene of where the body of 13-year-old Kei’Mani Latigue was found on the 1100th block of Miami Street in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
March - Spot News - 3rd place - Tiara Kasten, mother of missing teen Kei’Mani Latigue, at the scene where her daughter’s body was found inside a house on the 1100th block of Miami Street in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
April - iGeneral News - 1st place - Matthew Exton, accused of an attempted shooting at a downtown restaurant, smiles as he appears in Toledo Municipal Court . (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
April - General News - 2nd place - Robert Harper starts to eat his meal at Helping Hands of St. Louis in Toledo. About 300 free traditional Easter meals, which included ham, potatoes, salad, and a dessert, were served to guests. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
April - Portrait - 1st place - Prem Jyothi Punnam, owner of Amma’s Authentic Indian Kitchen in Sylvania. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
April - Portrait - 2nd place - Taylor Shine, founder and editor-in-chief of eMPWR Magazine, at TolHouse in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
April - Sports Feature - 2nd place - Whitmer boys head track coach Chris Humphrey (right) plays football with his team during a spring break practice at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
May - Feature - 1st place - Chhum Sok of Columbus fishes for white perch and white bass in the Maumee River at Side Cut Metropark in Maumee. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
May - General News - 3rd place - Fifth grader Antonio Williams long jumps during a USA Track and Field Run, Jump and Throw event at Rogers High School in Toledo. Elementary students from the Rogers High School feeder schools participate in a variety of activities, including agility exercises, relays, jumping challenges, throwing games, and hurdle drills. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
May - Portrait - 1st place - Nancy Kowalski with a photo of her father-in-law, WWII veteran Gerald Kowalski, whom she never met. Mr. Kowalski is featured in Robert Edsel's book, "Remember Us," that honors WWII soldiers buried in an American cemetery in the Netherlands. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
May - Portrait - 2nd place - Golibe Aniagboso, 3, plays with a flag after his aunt Chrisomaga Cynthia Akunna, originally of Nigeria, became a U.S. citizen, during a Naturalization Ceremony at United States District Court in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
May - Story - 1st place - Birders invade the boardwalk during the Biggest Week in American Birding at Magee Marsh in Oak Harbor. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - Feature - 3rd place - Ja’Syi Hughes, 8, of Toledo works on doing a handstand while trying to stay cool at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - General News - 2nd place - London Stewart, 14, of Toledo uses an otoscope to look inside Dr. Paul Schaefer’s ear during CampMed at the University of Toledo Health Science Campus in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - Illustration - 1st place - Whipped Lemon and Raspberry Parfait (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - Illustration - 2nd place - Blueberry Cloud Pie at Call of the Canyon Cafe in Bowling Green. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - Illustration - 3rd place - Tiramisu Martini (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - Portrait - 3rd place - Jim Obergefell reflects on the 10 year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage at Mr. Smith’s Coffee House in Sandusky. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
June - Story - 3rd place - Guelfi Firenze players dunk head coach Byron McAdams after defeating the Dolphins Ancona, 49-14, in the XLIV Italian Bowl at the Glass Bowl in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
July - Feature - HM - Ben Morales of Erie, Michigan, eats his lunch inside the entrance of the Port Lawrence Garage and enjoys the music of Ben DeLong during the weekly Lunch at Levis event in Toledo.(Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
July - General News - 1st place - Larry Watkins, 84, who rides his bicycle to work everyday, cuts Cameron Hall’s hair at Dale's Barber Shop in Sylvania. Mr. Hall has been getting his hair cut by Mr. Watkins for 55 years. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
August - Feature - 1st place - Lyricx Segura, 11, intercepts a pass intended for Northwood Police Officer Matthew Stacy during a pick-up football game at Brentwood Park in Northwood. The Northwood Police Department hosted a back to school event that included pizza, a K-9 demonstration, games, and back to school safety tips.(Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
August - Feature - 3rd place - People ride their bicycles along the shore line in mid 70 degree temperatures at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon.(Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
August - General News - 1st place - Bre Card of Marion (center) gets help moving into Parks Tower from her sister Hydeia Barron (left) at the University of Toledo.(Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
August - Story - 1st place - John Butler of Toledo waves to onlookers as he rides down Huron Street during the Toledo Jeep Fest Parade.(Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
September - Feature - 1st place - A student walks through the shadows of the “Owens Rings”, suspended glass sculpture created by world-renowned artist Ray King of Philadelphia at the Owens Community College Center for Fine & Performing Arts in Perrysburg. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
September - General News - 1st place - People tour the Park Apartments, a 45-unit affordable housing apartment building meant for people with disabilities and young adults, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
September - General News - 3rd place - Majesta Spearman walks with her daughter Misiya Turner, 7, at Ottawa Park in Toledo. They will be participating in the Race for Sickle Cell 5K Run/Walk on Sept. 20. The event raises awareness and critical funding for families affected by sickle cell disease. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
September - Illustration - 1st place - Scallops at the Final Cut Steakhouse in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
September - Illustration - 2nd place - Candied cherries and ice cream. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
September - Story - 3rd place - Casey Skufca carries buckets of paint as Derek Brennan paints a mural on the side of the NAPA Auto Parts building in Oak Harbor. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
October - Feature - HM - Jackman Road Elementary 4th grader Romeo Smith uses his Veggie Bucks to buy apples during a Farm to School Event for all Bedford Public Schools 4th graders at Douglas Road Elementary in Lambertville, Michigan. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
October - General News - 1st place - Riverside Mobile Home Park resident Chuck Parker kisses his pet deer, Lotus Rain in front of his home in Toledo. Mr. Parker is being forced to vacate his mobile home because it and the rest of the homes in the park were condemned by the City of Toledo on May 23. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
October - General News - 3rd place - Toledo Police Sergeant Jamal Owens tries to negotiate with Mike Ferner and other protesters to stop blocking the entrance to the Ohio Building in Toledo. The activists are trying to draw attention to the war in Gaza. The Ohio Building was chosen because it houses U.S. Sen. Jon Husted's Toledo office. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
October - Portrait - 2nd place - Charlie Wagoner, 100, is the oldest living TARTA retiree at his home in south Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
October - Sports - 3rd place - University of Toledo safety Eric Williams blocks a punt from Kent State’s Charlie Durkin during the third quarter of a game at Glass Bowl Stadium in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
October - Story - 2nd place - Sue Terrill holds a sign in protest to the war in Gaza in front of the Ohio Building in Toledo. The activists are trying to draw attention to the war in Gaza. The Ohio Building was chosen because it houses U.S. Sen. Jon Husted's Toledo office. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - Feature - 1st place - Pete Lach of Pella Windows works on removing old windows from the Black Acre building on 14th Street in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - General News - 3rd place - Hundreds of people attend a candlelight vigil for two children and an adult who were killed by a gunman who then took his own life at the East Green Amphitheater in Tiffin. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - Portrait - 1st place - Army Veteran Bill Schultz at his home in Findlay. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - Portrait - 3rd place - 2025 All-Blade Football Player of the Year Garrison Kruse in Liberty Center. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - Portrait - HM - Lindsey Cook with her award winning English Setter Tyler in Pemberville. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - Sports - HM - Perrysburg’s Adyson Brown battles Strongsville’s Addison Eichenberger for the ball during a Division I regional final soccer match at Contractors Stadium in Norwalk. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
November - Story - HM - Mourners attend a candlelight vigil for two children and an adult who were killed by a gunman who then took his own life at the East Green Amphitheater in Tiffin. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
December - General News - 3rd place - Roy Hemmings participates in welding class as part a workforce development program] at the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
December - Illustration - 1st place - Sweet Potato Casserole (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
December - Portrait - 1st place - Geo Washington Jr. voluntarily walks the downtown community offering resources for the unhoused community in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
December - Portrait - HM - Cristian Overmyer, 4, plays in the bouncy balls during Sensory Friendly Day at Urban Air Adventure Park in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
December - Sports - 3rd place - University of Toledo guard Manor Strong battles against Western Michigan University guard Jalen Griffith for the ball during a MAC basketball game at Savage Arena in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
![December - General News - 3rd place - Roy Hemmings participates in welding class as part a workforce development program] at the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)](images/clippoy2025_062.jpg)
