Feature - 1st place - Fourth grader Saniya Hodges competes in a Tough Mudder event at Greenwood Elementary School in Toledo. The entire school completed obstacle courses in MUD for a focus on physical fitness and fun. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Feature - 2nd place - Registered nurse graduate Darian Jozsa sits with her daughter, Charlotte, 3, on her lap as she plays with her graduation cap tassel during the Owens Community College Spring Commencement ceremony at the Huntington Center in Toledo. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Feature - 3rd place - Sophomore J’ynn Moore gets splashed with water while sitting under the dunk tank bucket during an event to celebrate those who displayed the most improvement throughout the school year at Scott High School in Toledo, (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Feature - HM - Ana Perez, of El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico (front) performs at the Cultura Sobre Ruedas (Culture on Wheels) event at the Believe Center in Toledo. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
Feature - HM - Lukas Zavala, 9, raises his hand after defeating Toledo Police Officer Justin Siminiak during a kids vs. cops chess tournament at Jones Leadership Academy of Business in Toledo. The kids won overall against law enforcement 18-9. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
General News - 1st place - One of the firefighter explorer group members runs by a simulated car fire before helping put it out during a mock disaster event held by Bedford Township Fire Department at the Monroe County Fairgrounds in Monroe, Michigan. The event had cadets from youth programs of area police and fire departments respond to simulated emergencies. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
General News - 2nd place - Beth Simpkins of Toledo smiles as a Harris’s Hawk lands on her hand while participating in an Introduction to Falconry class put on by the Ohio School of Falconry at Nature’s Nursery in Waterville. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
General News - 3rd place - Jon Wonsettler, site manger at Bitdeer, walks the hot side of one of the bitcoin mining facility buildings in Massillon where the fan exhaust exits the structure. (Andrew Dolph / Akron Beacon Journal)
General News - HM - Bugler, Austin Crawford, plays “Taps” during the Toledo Police Memorial Service at the Civic Center Mall, Toledo Police Memorial Garden in downtown Toledo. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
General News - HM - Third graders (from left) Mia Jaquay (doing a cartwheel), Riley Smith, Charlotte Thompson, and Everett Draper participate in the Lemonade Stands for Charity event at Hiawatha Elementary School in Toledo. All profits will go to Humane Ohio and Ronald McDonald House. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Portrait - 1st place - Cyndie Wolske (left) manager and server of the Spaghetti Warehouse and Lisa Grim, kitchen manager, have amassed a cumulative 55 years working at the Akron location – a famous fixture of the Akron food scene soon to close. (Andrew Dolph / Akron Beacon Journal)
Portrait - 2nd place - Gary and Elizabeth Deal with a photo of their late daughter, Christina Deal, at their home in Jerusalem Township. Christina was murdered in 2003. Her parents and sister want to keep her killer, Joseph Amador, in prison. He is up for parole in June. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
Portrait - 3rd place - Kindergartner Rocia Castillo smiles while competing in a Tough Mudder event at Greenwood Elementary School in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Portrait - HM - Devon Shaw stands next to foxglove plants he has grown inside of one of his greenhouses at Soul Patch Greenhouse in Swanton. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Portrait - HM - Army veteran Tyler Palmer walks the streets of Oregon with his dog KC and an American flag in hand, turning every mile into donations that fuel his own mental health journey while quietly lifting up neighbors in need in Oregon. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 1st place - St. Francis’ Gannon Warga spits from the dugout during the D-II baseball district final at Carter Park in Bowling Green. Clay defeated St. Francis, 1-0. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 2nd place - Bowling Green’s Kylie Kubacki and Lily Wagner dance to a song during warmups in the Division III softball district semifinal a the Oregon Recreational Complex. Maumee defeated Bowling Green, 11-0. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports Feature - 3rd place - Midview celebrates their win over West Branch at InfoCision Stadium in Akron. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports Feature - HM - Fans watch from the pit during the Owens Corning 200 at the Toledo Speedway. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports Feature - HM - Maddy Tomaszewski carries three walleye off the ice after Toledo’s first goal during a playoff hockey game at the Huntington Center in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Spot News - 1st place - Authorities investigate the scene of an accident involving a truck and motorcycle at the intersection of East Main Street and Burnett Road in Springfield. The motorcyclist was killed. (Joseph Cook / Springfield News-Sun)
Spot News - 2nd place - Bystanders embrace as emergency personnel work the scene of a small plane crash that killed both occupants of the plane but spare everyone inside the home when it hit on Canterbury Circle, in Akron. (Andrew Dolph / Akron Beacon Journal)
Spot News - 3rd place - Risen Christ Lutheran Church and School on East Possum Road is covered by flooding as a result of heavy rain in Springfield. (Joseph Cooke / Springfield News-Sun)
Sports - 1st place - Toledo’s Nelson Velazquez jumps to make a catch during a game at Fifth Third Field in Toledo. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Sports - 2nd place - Carlos Torres of Lorain throws a punch at Freddy Jackson of Toledo at the Thrilla at The Villa boxing event at Germans Villa. (Thomas Fetcenko / Chronicle-Telegram)
Sports - 3rd place - St. John’s Miles Green keeps his eye on the ball during a tennis matchup against Central Catholic at Shadow Valley Tennis Club in Maumee. (Kurt Steiss / The Blade)
Sports - HM - Toledo’s Max Clark dives into second base during an International League game against the Indianapolis Indians at Fifth Third Field in Toledo. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Sports - HM - Tristan McKee makes the turn during the Owens Corning 200 at the Toledo Speedway. (Rebecca Benson / The Blade)
Story - 1st place - The 126th All Breed Dog Show and Obedience Trial drew over 800 dogs and their owners from across the region to showcase their skills at the Lucas County Fairgrounds in Maumee, Border collies, dachshunds, and terriers were among the more than 100 breeds represented at the show. Kim Cordier (right) pets her Bernese mountain dog, Secret, during The Toledo Kennel Club’s annual All-Breed Dog Show. (Addison Annis / The Blade)
Story - 2nd place - James Mann prays during an Eid al-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice) prayer service at the Masjid of Al-Islam in Toledo. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
Story - 3rd place - Rich Ernst (center) of upstate New York helps his daughter Michelle, 7, spot a Blackburnian Warbler during the first day of the Biggest Week in American Birding at Magee Marsh in Oak Harbor. (Jeremy Wadsworth / The Blade)
