The Star Tribune sports staff was named among the Top Ten in the three major categories -- Daily Sports Sections, Sunday Sections and Special Sections-- of the Associated Press Sports Editors' annual competition.

In addition, Vikings beat writer Dan Wiederer won two Top Ten awards -- for beat coverage of the team and, along with writer Chip Scoggins, for project reporting on their coverage of painkillers in the National Football.

Reporters Jerry Zgoda and Dennis Brackin were Top Ten finishers in explanatory writing for their story about the racial make-up of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Videographer McKenna Ewen, reporter Jason Gonzalez and photographer Jerry Holt were Top Ten winners in multimedia for their report of efforts to save the struggling football program at Minneapolis South High School.

Startribune.com is one of only two web sites, along with the New York Times, to win APSE multimedia awards in all three years that contest has been held.

Results are being announced this week at the APSE's annual meeting.