Three current or former staff members of the Bellevue Reporter were honored last weekend at the Society of Professional Journalists 2011 Excellence in Journalism Contest. A columnist for The Bellevue Scene magazine also was honored.

Josh Suman, Gabrielle Nomura, Chad Coleman and Heija Nunn all placed first or second in a variety of categories.

Suman was awarded first place in Sports Reporting for his two-part report, “Head Games | Concussions in youth sports, the Lystedt Law and a local response” on concussions affecting high school football players.”

Nomura received a first place award in Lifestyles Reporting for her story, “Visitors come face-to-face with their worst nightmares at Beaver Lake Park.” The story discussed the annual Halloween event on the Plateau.

She also was awarded a first place in Arts Reporting & Criticism News & Features for the story, “From corps dancer to choreographer.” The story told how Bellevue resident Sean Rollofson, a second-year corps de ballet dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, choreographed a ballet for the company.

Nomura also won a second place award in the same category for “Repping suburbia in a city hip-hop scene.” The story told how two Bellevue residents, Jason Chen and Michael Akrish, are making their marks in the hip-hop scene.

Photographer Chad Coleman took first place in Photo Portrait for a group of photographs he took for the Bellevue Reporter.

Also, Medina resident Heija Nunn won second place in the General Column category for her column that appears in The Scene Magazine.

The yearly contest honors reporters and photographers in the areas of newspaper, magazine, radio and television in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.