The Cincinnati Enquirer won seven first-place awards and one Best of Show at the 2001 Ohio News Photographers Association awards Saturday in Columbus.

        Mike Levy of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer was chosen Photographer of the Year for 2001. Finishing second was Steven Herppich of The Enquirer, with Michael E. Keating of The Enquirer taking third place.

        One hundred thirty-six photographers from across Ohio submitted 1,868 entries in the 51st annual news photography contest.

        The Enquirer won second place in the Photography Staff of Year (Over 100,000 circulation) category and first place in the category Team Picture Story for its work during the April riots.

        Mr. Herppich also won first place awards in the Feature Picture Story and News Picture Story categories; and third place for General News.

        Mr. Keating also won Best of Show; a first place for Assigned Feature Picture; first place for General News; second place for News Picture Story; and first and second place in Spot News (over 100,000 circulation).

        Enquirer photographer Patrick Reddy won first place in the Portrait/Personality category while colleague Jeff Swinger won a third place in Sports Action.

        Other Enquirer photographers honored in the contest were Ernest Coleman, Glenn Hartong, Gary Landers, Craig Ruttle and Brandi Stafford. Liz Dufour is director of photography at The Enquirer.

        Judges were Marci Nighswander, professor of visual communication at Ohio University; Bill Wade, staff photographer at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette; and Ed Reinke, Associated Press photographer from Louisville.

        The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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