The New England Associated Press News Executives Association has announced the results of its annual contest for work submitted by newspapers across the region.

Stephen M. Katz, assistant photo editor at the Bangor Daily News, won three awards – first place in the profile photo category for “Survivor,” a photo of cancer patient Terry Cole that appeared in the June 9-10, 2001, edition; first for “At the races,” a multiple photo story about harness racing at Bass Park published in the Aug. 3, 4-5 and 6, 2001, editions; and second for the Dec. 14 spot news photo, “Blaze,” of a fireman atop the roof of a burning house in Bangor.

Katz is a graduate of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., and Temple University, Philadelphia, and worked as photography editor at The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., before joining the NEWS in the spring of 2001.

Photographer Bob Delong won second place for the feature photo, “Family workout,” showing a modern-day mother exercising at the YWCA flanked by two children sleeping in strollers. His sports action photo, “Slide,” of a little leaguer sliding into third base, was awarded third place. The photos were among those selected for the NEWS’ special section, “Pictures of the Year,” published Jan. 1. A 22-year veteran of the photo department, Delong retired Feb. 1.

The photo, “Fair man,” of an attendee at last year’s Bangor State Fair which appeared in the Aug. 2, 2001, edition won photographer Kevin Bennett third place in the portrait-profile category. He began working part time at the NEWS in 1994 and became a full-time staff photographer in 1998.

The Style page published March 9-10 displayed an article titled “See worthy,” about a Maine underwater photographer and the mysteries he discovers in cold-water climes. It won third place for graphic artist Mary Ford in the design division, feature page category. Ford earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has been employed by the NEWS since 1997.

In the special coverage design category, Scott Haskell, photo editor, Eric Zelz, director of graphics, and Katz received third place honors for “Pictures of the Year 2001” showcasing the best work of the Bangor Daily News photographers for 2001. Haskell has been at the BDN for 25 years since graduating from the University of Maine with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism. A graduate of Bowdoin College, Zelz has been a member of the NEWS staff for 18 years.

Reporter Misty Edgecomb’s “A ray of light” won third place in the feature story category. The front-page article in the March 9-10, 2002, edition captured a voyage of the missionary ship Sunbeam on its travels to islands along the Maine coast.

A UM alumna, Edgecomb earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism, magna cum laude, in 1999 and a bachelor of science in natural resources in 2000.

She worked as a reporter in the Ellsworth bureau before becoming the NEWS’ outdoor writer in March.

The presentation of awards will be held Sept. 27 and 28 during NEAPNEA’s fall conference at The Cliff House in Ogunquit.