The Kansas Association of Broadcasters has officially announced the results of the 2026 KAB Student Broadcast Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding student work from across the state. Following a competitive judging process, students from Rock Creek High School earned honors in 10 of the 17 categories, continuing to raise the bar for student journalism and broadcasting.

The KAB Student Broadcast Excellence Awards provide high school and college students the opportunity to showcase their best work while gaining recognition from industry professionals and peers. This year’s competition featured a strong field of entries, highlighting the talent and dedication of the next generation of Kansas broadcasters.

Rock Creek High School students delivered an exceptional performance in their first year competing, earning several 1st and 2nd place awards along with additional honorable mentions. 

Rock Creek High School Award Recipients:

• Nathan Bortnick, Tyler Bortnick — :60 Second or Less Commercial, Back Roads Broadcast Commercial, 1st Place
• Skyler Hulett — Best Special Programming, Cornfield Conversations FFA Edition, 1st Place
• Olivia Bowman, Joee Perkins — Public Affairs/Talk Show Program, Wake Up or Break Up, 1st Place
• Coledon Johnson — Best General News Story, Humanitarian Crisis, 1st Place
• Matthew Shinaberger — Best Feature, The Art Gallery with Matt, Honorable Mention
• Jackson McCann — On Air Personality, Hot Takes with Jackson, 2nd Place
• Jackson McCann, Claire Schimke, Addi Ebert — On Air Personality, Senior Insight Segment, Honorable Mention
• Ryder Bunnell — Sports Play-by-Play, Feb. 20, 2026 Girls Basketball Game, Honorable Mention
• Halen Garcia, Abigail Schneider — Documentary, Nature 2nd Place
• Lily Wick, Brooklyn Gibbs — Sports Color Commentator or Sideline Reporter, Halftime Sideline Reporting, 2nd Place

“These results reflect the hard work, creativity, and commitment our journalism students bring to every project,” Shana Schmidt, Rock Creek Journalism teacher said, “I am incredibly proud of their accomplishments and the way they represent Rock Creek High School.”

The success at this year’s KAB awards underscores the growth of the school’s journalism program and highlights the importance of student-led media.

Broadcast and podcast students will be traveling to Arrowhead Stadium to accept their awards on April 9 at the KAB Sports Seminar Broadcast at 9 a.m. where professional sports broadcasters, college and high school students and faculty will hear from the keynote speaker Dani Welnaik and enjoy  a day of career networking opportunities.

Journalism students will also participate in the Broadcast Activities Fair, where students will interact with industry professionals and gain some hands-on experiences. Students will have the opportunity to attend 6 student-focused sessions to gain more knowledge of the industry and after accepting their awards students will be able to enjoy watching a Kansas City Royals game.

For more information about the KAB Student Broadcast Excellence Awards, visit the Kansas Association of Broadcasters website www.kab.net.