The Vicksburg Post news staff has picked up 17 awards, including three for first place, in the Mississippi Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest for 2010.

The awards, in competition with newspapers of similar size from across the state, were announced Saturday during MPA’s annual summer meeting in Biloxi.

With judges saying it offered “a great blend of information,” the Post Sports section was voted No. 1.

Staff writer Danny Barrett Jr. and photographer Katie Carter also won first-place awards in the picture-story combination category for their report on recovery efforts after tornadoes ripped through North Louisiana and Eagle Lake in April 2010.

Also in sports categories, sports writer Ernest Bowker received three second-place awards, for his report on Clint Wilkerson’s resignation from St. Aloysius High School, for a report on a young archery expert and a game story from a St. Al baseball game against Myrtle High School.

Sports editor Steve Wilson received a second-place honor for his column.

Deputy managing editor Misty McDermitt and graphic designer Emily Clark won second-place awards for their work in the Topic section.

Carter received second place in the sports feature photo category for a photo at a Warren Central High School game.

Staff writer Manivanh Chanprasith received a third-place award for her coverage of fatal tornadoes crossing the state.

Staff writer Pamela Hitchins and photographer David Jackson each received third-place awards for their picture-story coverage of the Jackson Zoo.

The staff won a third-place award for its special section on the 150th anniversary of Catholic education in Vicksburg, and overall, the staff also took third place for the design of the newspaper.

Managing editor Karen Gamble won third place for a headline, and Web editor Sean P. Murphy received a third-place award for the newspaper’s website, www.vicksburgpost.com.

The announcement of awards came a day after Post publisher Pat Cashman was elected to the Mississippi Press Association’s Hall of Fame and Post general manager Jimmy Clark was elected to serve a one-year term as president of the MPA Board of Directors.