The Mirror won 19 awards at this year’s contest, including four first-place nods.

In news and writing excellence, The Mirror placed first in nondaily division I. The newspaper also had the top entry in sports pages.

News editor Shawn F. Linenberger grabbed the other two first-place awards, one in education and the other in agriculture. His feature “Tools of Technology,” which focused on teachers starting to use iPads in their classrooms, placed first.

In the best environmental story category, Linenberger’s “Late winter could benefit area farmers next season” snagged the paper’s fourth No. 1 award. The story focused on what late and heavy snowfall can do for the upcoming growing season.

Here’s a look at the newspaper’s other awards:

Second place

• Sports story: “Dent’s only varsity season will end at state,” by sports editor Justin Nutter. The story focused on Tonganoxie High wrestler Gus Dent’s journey to state as a senior.

• Religion story: “New Perspective,” by Linenberger, about a Tonganoxie woman who credited her faith with helping her to combat a condition that required extensive surgery.

• Agricultural story: “Garden Play,” by Linenberger, a feature about Cheryl Hanback raising a garden next to her Tonganoxie business along U.S. Highway 24-40 with her husband.

• Environmental story: Linenberger’s “Garden Play” also placed second in the environmental category.

• Design and layout excellence.

• Best use of photos.

• Editorial pages.

• Best newspaper website.

• Best environmental portrait for the “Garden Play” photo.

Third place

• News story: “Paws and Circumstance,” by Linenberger, about a Tonganoxie resident who completed training with a second service dog. Rose Mary Gergick, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 1997, was paired with a service dog from Kansas Specialty Dog Service in 2007 and was paired last April with a second after the first dog, Denim, died from complications with bone cancer in September 2012. Earlier this month, on Valentine’s Day, Gergick died from complications with an infection. She was 53.

• Agricultural story: “Area 4-H member is four-time grand champ in market beef,” by Linenberger, about Tonganoxie High School graduate Jody Baragary, who won grand champion in the market beef show for the fourth time.

• Youth story: “Leading the reading in Tonganoxie,” by Linenberger, about Tonganoxie High School student Celeste Bartels starting reading and mentoring programs at Tonganoxie Elementary School.

• Education story: “Leading the reading in Tonganoxie” also was named the No. 3 education story.

• Best front page.

• Best story/picture combination for the education story about iPads in the classroom.

The Mirror staff will receive its awards during a luncheon April 12 at the Kansas Press Association convention in Manhattan.