Douglas County is home to two of the top 25 collegiate newspapers in the country.

Student newspapers at Kansas University and Baker University each won Pacemaker awards from the Associated Collegiate Press this weekend during the annual ACP/College Media Advisers conference in Nashville, Tenn. The awards often are called the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism.

“We were cleaning up,” former Baker Orange editor Kristin Callaway said of the papers. “Kansas was representing.”

Twenty-five newspapers from across the country received the honor. Fifty-eight newspapers were announced as finalists.

The awards were based on entries from the 2003-2004 academic year, which were judged by newspaper professionals.

It was the first Pacemaker award for the Baker Orange, which won in the category for weekly newspapers at four-year colleges.

“We were completely shocked,” said Callaway, a former Journal-World intern. “It says we’re one of the top 25 in the country. For a school Baker’s size, with a staff of 30 and limited resources, it’s a huge accomplishment.”

The Orange is advised by Gwyn Mellinger, a Journal-World columnist.

The University Daily Kansan won its fifth Pacemaker in 11 years. The paper’s last Pacemaker was for the 1999-2000 school year.

“It’s exciting for us because we haven’t got one in a while,” said Henry C. Jackson, current Kansan editor. “It reflects a team effort. It’s like a Pulitzer — it’s a national award that recognizes us as one of the best papers in the country.”

The Kansan also won “best in show” for daily broadsheet newspapers at four-year universities. The paper entered its Oct. 7, 2004, edition in the competition. The editor at the time was Michelle Burhenn, a former Journal-World intern and part-time staffer.

Jackson said news of the awards energized the Kansan newsroom.

“It pumped us up,” he said.

The Orange and Kansan are printed by the Journal-World.