Breese Journal sports editor wins first place in IPA's annual contest for editorial inspired by Maci McCabe's journey

Breese Journal sports editor Jeremy Chawgo won first place in the Local Editorial - Division C category at the Illinois Press Association’s annual convention held in June at Peoria. Chawgo won the award for his editorial "Maci's journey and strength should inspire us all to be better." Pictured are (in front) Maci McCabe, and (back, from left): Preston Baker, Jeremy Chawgo and Griffen Becker.    Breese Journal sports editor Jeremy Chawgo's words of compassion to the community for wanting to be better have earned statewide recognition from the Illinois Press Association (IPA).
    Chawgo recently received first place in the Division C Local Editorial category in the IPA's 2025 Excellence in Newspaper Contest for his editorial, "Maci's journey and strength should inspire us all to be better," following the serious crash involving then-Mater Dei High School student Maci McCabe and the heroic actions of then-Central Community High School seniors Preston Baker and Griffen Becker.
    The award was announced June 4 during the Illinois Press Association's annual convention at the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino in East Peoria, where nearly 80 daily and nondaily newspapers competed in 39 editorial categories.
    More than 1,600 editorial entries, judged by the Hoosier State Press Association, were submitted from newspapers across Illinois.
    Chawgo's editorial — published in the Feb. 20, 2025, edition of the Breese Journal — recounted the devastating Feb. 9, 2025, two-vehicle crash on Old Route 50 near Breese, following a basketball game and focused on the extraordinary kindness displayed in its aftermath.
    According to Chawgo's editorial, McCabe was on her way home, lost control of her vehicle, and collided with a Sugar Creek Ambulance, sending McCabe into a ditch in front of Central High School with life-threatening injuries.
    Baker and Becker, who heard the accident on impact while getting off the bus following a Central basketball game victory, immediately rushed to McCabe's aid.
    Baker, then a probationary firefighter with the Beckemeyer Fire Department, assisted emergency responders and remained by McCabe's side (along with Becker) until additional help arrived, offering reassurance that she was not alone.
    Chawgo used the incident to highlight how the long-time rivalry between Mater Dei and Central disappeared in a moment of crisis as the entire community united in support of McCabe and her family.
    "Let's use Maci's heart, fight and love for life to get us as adults back to a loving rivalry from our great student athletes," Chawgo wrote. "A couple things that I’ve learned over the years is that life is too short to be petty and evil. I’m a die hard Central AND Mater Dei fan, you don’t have to be both, but we have to be supporters of these kids and their ventures in life."
    The editorial also detailed the severe injuries McCabe suffered, including collapsed lungs, internal injuries and multiple fractures. She was airlifted to St. Louis University Hospital, where she underwent extensive treatment as the Clinton County community rallied around her recovery.
    "If there is one thing we can learn from (the) terrible accident is that these three student athletes have life figured out at an early age and we should be proud of the way they are all representing Clinton County," Chawgo wrote in his editorial.
    "Keep fighting Maci, you have a whole county behind you, and you have inspired each and all of us to be better and stronger human beings," Chawgo concluded.
    Since the accident, McCabe has undergone nine surgeries. Although she has no memory of the crash itself, she has made remarkable progress and is now attending Lindenwood University, and is a cheerleader at the university.
    Chawgo recently reunited with McCabe, Baker and Becker at the crash site near Central High School, reflecting on the events that forever connected their lives.
    Today, Baker works in the concrete industry while continuing to serve as a volunteer firefighter with the Beckemeyer Fire Department. Becker is playing football at McKendree University and working at Poettker Construction, with plans to follow in his family's footsteps by becoming a firefighter after college.
    The editorial drew high praise from the contest judges.
    "Mr. Chawgo's editorial epitomizes what I love to see in local editorials — addressing a community problem while speaking to the larger, universal truths of humans, culture and the associated pitfalls," one of the judges wrote. "This compelling narrative inspires me to do better, be better and spread the message to others. His impassioned pleas hit the mark at every turn. Well done, sir!"
    In addition to Chawgo's first-place honor, the Breese Journal earned two fourth-place awards in the Illinois Press Association's Illinois Newspaper Advertising Contest — one for its Wessel's Market Ice Cream food advertisement and another for an advertisement for D Tours & Travel Service.