After being selected as a finalist for the National Scholastic Press Association’s (NSPA) 2013 Newspaper Pacemaker, the St. Louis Park Echo received the National Pacemaker award at the NSPA’s High School Journalism Convention on Nov. 17 .

The Echo was among 24 of the 48 Pacemaker finalists to receive the award this year and won this award in 2010, and qualified as a finalist in 2011 and 2007.

Also among the 2013 National Pacemaker winners is the local Hopkins high school newspaper, the Royal Page.

The entries were judged this year by the Miami Herald staff on a wide variety of aspects.

The NSPA awarded 2013 graduate Dylan Scott second place in the design-illustration category for his work on a page regarding the 2012 election.

“The election issue was the hardest to formulate but at the same time it was the most interesting and was not something that could be done often,” Scott said. “It feels good knowing that  the public appreciates what you do, especially because a lot of time in journalism work goes unrecognized.”

Additionally, Scott placed third in the sports-reaction photography category. However, he said that overall he is proud of the entire Echo staff for receiving the award.

“It was really nice to be recognized in those categories, but the entire staff last year worked really hard,” Scott said. “The fact is that we were awarded the 2013 Pacemaker overall as a staff.”

Echo adviser Lori Keekley said although she thinks it is great that the Echo won the award, winning isn’t the goal of the publication.

“It’s a wonderful honor for the students. However that’s not why we do it,” she said. “ We publish the paper for the student body.”