Feature - 1st place - Josiah Reid, 6, of Toledo smiles as a bucket of water tips down onto him at a new splash pad at Jamie Farr Park in Toledo. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Feature - 2nd place - Damalachi White, 10, kicks the water while playing with his friends to beat the summer heat wave in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Feature - 3rd place - Grace Mukiira, 12, (left) practices parting on a mannequin during the Confidence and Coils summer camp at the Wayman Palmer YMCA in Toledo. The summer camp offers culturally affirming programming that blends natural hair care, confidence-building and self-care for young Black girls in Toledo. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
Feature - HM - Saniya Hernandez, 13, looks to cast her line into the water during Perrysburg's annual Fishing Derby at Three Meadows Pond in Perrsyburg, (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Feature - HM - Stetson Phillips, of Springfield, tastes a strawberry after purchasing 2.5 quarts for his parents at Troy Strawberry Festival. (Bryant Billing / Dayton Daily News)
General News - 1st place - From left, Rebecca Bennett, Nate Wishard, Angela Singler, and Scott Hayes of the Oregon Economic Development Foundation team participate in The Epilepsy Center of Northwest Ohio annual fundraising event Practically Golf at Promenade Park in Toledo. The event features more than 200 corporate golfers during the day, followed by an evening open to the public with mini golf, music, food, raffles, and family fun in the heart of downtown Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
General News - 2nd place - People wave after the arrival of Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, as it arrives at the Fostoria Iron Triangle Railpark in Fostoria. The locomotive is making a cross-country tour in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
General News - 3rd place - Isabella Volpe, representing the Mexican culture, reacts as she was named as this year's festival queen during the 2026 Lorain International Festival Princess Pageant at Lorain High School. (Kristin Bauer / Chronicle-Telegram)
General News - HM - Highland Square resident and artist, Marissa McClellan, works on a series of murals she was commissioned to paint on the 16 concrete blocks along West Market Street in Akron’s Highland Square neighborhood. The murals were created with the intention of helping to bring joy to the area after a series of shootings in front of the bars. The concrete barriers were installed by the city to help curb late-night partying in the streets by blocking off parking spots despite a clearly visible tow away zone sign. (Andrew Dolph / Akron Beacon Journal)
General News - HM - The Lorain Fire Department sprayed water guns to cool off parade-goers during the Lorain International Festival parade on Broadway. (Kristin Bauer / Chronicle-Telegram)
Illustration - 1st place - Asparagus with Fried Eggs and Parmesan. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Illustration - 2nd place - Lemon raspberry muffins (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Illustration - 3rd place - Raspberry matcha latte (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Portrait - 1st place - From left, Cierra Wells, RN at St. Vincent Medical Center who was at the Old West End Festival and rendered emergency aid to a 16-yer-old shooting victim, with her daughters Maliyah Wells, 7 months, Makayla Wells, 9, her friend’s daughter Marlii Wilson, 5, her other daughter Makenna Wells, at her home in Toledo. Everyone in the photo was at the OWE Festival at the time of the shooting. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Portrait - 2nd place - Rex Russell paints en plein air along the Maumee River near Riverside Park in Perrysburg. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
Portrait - 3rd place - A USA Pickleball official watches play as a pickleball passes in front of him during the APP Vlasic Classic at Sawyer Point Park in Cincinnati. (Joshua Swinford / Nine & Plum)
Portrait - HM - Race team owner and fuel Funny Car driver, Ron Capps, poses for a portrait with two handfuls of used nitromethane engine pistons in his pit area during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Portrait - HM - Erika Lockwood socializes with friends while wearing colorful sunglasses during the Springfield Pride Parade in downtown Springfield. (Joseph Cooke / Springfield News-Sun)
Sports Feature - 1st place - Last year’s champion Mia Hammond (center) gives putting tips to this year’s Patient Champions (from left) Isabelle Britt, 16, and Kennedy Berce, 7, during the Greater Toledo Classic media day at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 2nd place - Southview's Ben Kotnik (2) reacts after striking out in the bottom of the seventh inning against Padua at ForeFront Field in Avon. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports Feature - 3rd place - Maddi Gordon celebrates her first career Top Fuel win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Gordan's father, Doug Gordon (on right) also took home a win in Top Alcohol Funny Car. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports Feature - HM - Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander sits in the dugout during a game against St. Paul at Fifth Third Field in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports Feature - HM - Perrysburg's Andrew Charpie (22) reacts after striking out Jackson to end the top of the fifth inning in the Division I regional final at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Spot News - 1st place - First responders help a woman who was injured the mass shooting that left 12 people injured at the Old West End Festival at the Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports - 1st place - Antron Brown races down the track at Summit Motorsports Park during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports - 2nd place - Bryan High School's third baseman Mylie Vollmer (15) catches a fly ball for an out against Licking Valley at Firestone Stadium. (Kristin Bauer / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports - 3rd place - Jack Munro leaps to return a shot during mixed pro doubles play at the APP Vlasic Classic at Sawyer Point Park in Cincinnati. (Joshua Swinford / Nine & Plum)
Sports - HM - Southview's Ben Kotnik (2) jumps to try and catch a wild throw as Padua's Braylon Benson (10) slides into second base at ForeFront Field in Avon. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports - HM - Hunter Spangler of Liberty Center wins the Division IV shot put title with a throw of 64 ft- 9” during the OHSAA State Track Meet at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Story - 1st place - Walsh Jesuit student-fans cheer before an OHSAA Div II state championship baseball game against New Albany, at 717 Credit Union Park in Akron. (Andrew Dolph / Akron Beacon Journal)
Story - 2nd place - Kenton Ridge starting pitcher Ivee Rastatter works with pitching coach Molly Kraus before an OHSAA Division IV state semifinal softball game against Newark Licking Valley, at Firestone Stadium in Akron. (Andrew Dolph / Akron Beacon Journal)
Story - 3rd place - Lisa Hill, Mary Bensmiller, and Robin Rienstra work to break down and dismantle guns turned in during an unwanted firearms disposal event at Monroe Street United Methodist Church in Toledo. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Story - HM - First responders help a woman who was injured the mass shooting that left 12 people injured at the Old West End Festival at the Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Story - HM - Troy Pop Rocks, a jump rope team made of Troy City Schools students, invited spectators watching a performance at Troy Strawberry Festival to join in at the end of their show. (Bryant Billing / Dayton Daily News)
