The Vicksburg Post news staff has won 13 awards, including seven for first place, in the Mississippi Press Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented Saturday during the first Southeast Press Convention, in Sandestin, Fla., where news organizations from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were represented.

“I think it shows the high standards to which we adhere in all areas — news, sports and photography,” publisher Pat Cashman said.

“I’m proud of the staff,” he said. “They have consistently excelled, and this is proof as judged by their peers.”

One of the awards, a third-place, was to the staff in the category of General Excellence.

Individuals receiving first-place awards and the categories were sports editor Steve Wilson in Sports Column, sports writer Ernest Bowker in Game Story, photographers Sam Andrews in Sports Action and Eli Baylis in Pictorial Series and Paul Barry in Graphics.

In addition, the staff received a first-place for an editorial written about the Flood of 2011 and the sports staff received one in Sports Page or Section.

Second-place awards were presented to photographer Melanie Thortis in Spot News Photo, editor and columnist Sean P. Murphy in Editorial Page or Section and the staff in Design.

Third-place honors were awarded to Bowker in Sports Feature Story, Baylis and reporter Pamela Hitchins in Picture-Story Combination and to the staff for Post website.

Also at the meeting, Vicksburg Post general manager James Clark ended his one-year term as president of the statewide news association. He is succeeded by James E. Prince III, owner, publisher and editor of the Neshoba Democrat in Philadelphia and the Madison County Journal in Ridgeland.