The Rocky Mountain News produced one of the top 20 daily sports sections in its circulation group in the nation in 2006, in judging by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

Among large-circulation newspapers (250,000 and more), the Rocky's daily sports section earned an honorable mention award and was ranked with such sections as The Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune and The Miami Herald.

Rocky reporters Jeff Legwold and Kevin Vaughan received a top-10 ranking in the breaking news story category in the same circulation group for their reporting on a car accident involving Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer.

The Denver Post received a top-20 (honorable mention) ranking in the large-circulation category for Sunday section, and reporter Bill Briggs earned a top-10 finish in feature writing.

Other Colorado newspapers and journalists honored:

• 40,000 to 100,000 circulation: The (Colorado Springs) Gazette, top-10 daily section, honorable mention Sunday section; Meri-Jo Borzilleri, The Gazette, top-10 explanatory writing; Milo Bryant, The Gazette, top-10 column writing.

• Fewer than 40,000: Boulder Daily Camera, honorable mention daily section; the Greeley Tribune, top-10 Sunday section; the (Longmont) Daily Times-Call, honorable mention special section; Kyle Ringo, Boulder Daily Camera, top-10 feature writing; Patrick Ridgell, Daily Times-Call, top- 10 column writing and top-10 game story.