IndyStar photographer wins National Headliner Award for Crawford County football images

One of IndyStar's visual journalists won a prestigious national award Wednesday for a searing portfolio of images featuring a small town Indiana football team.

Photographer Mykal McEldowney was awarded first place honors in the National Headliner Award's "multi-day photo story" category for his work following the Crawford County Wolfpack football program.

Of the photos, the judges said: "The Crawford (County) football team photos are both happy and sad. But what makes them so successful is their intimacy and their storytelling quality.

The project, "Indiana's poorest county might lose its football team — and its hope," follows the trials and triumphs of Crawford County High School's football team. The school, located in far southern Indiana on the edge of Kentucky, has 457 students in a town of 817 residents.

McEldowney, who has been with the IndyStar for four years, was also named the 2019 Indiana News Sports Photographer of the Year. He has won numerous photography awards during his career, including prizes from Associated Press Sports Editors organization, the National Press Photographers Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the National Headliner Awards program is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing journalistic merit in the communications industry.