Columbia, SC—Esteemed Sporting Classics Editor-At-Large and author, Jim Casada, recently won the Excellence in Craft award for his Sporting Classics Daily piece, “Sweet Soul of the Smokies.”

The Southeastern Outdoor Press Association (SEOPA) announced the winners of its annual Excellence in Craft Awards competition, which honors “outstanding communicators who work in a wide variety of media platforms.” The EIC awards, sponsored by Realtree, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association, celebrate the best among SEOPA members’ works of the past year. Fifty members submitted 263 entries that were judged by more than 40 experts.

Of the 11 main categories ranging from newspaper stories to outdoor books and photographs, the category of “Electronic Publishing” is one of the most competitive as it tends to draw the majority of entries. However, one piece in particular stood out to the judges—Casada’s article “Sweet Soul of the Smokies,” originally published by Sporting Classics Daily, won first place in the Electronic Publishing category.

In this heartfelt story, Casada shares the remembrances of his dear “Aunt Mag,” the impoverished black woman and family friend from his youth, whose divine cooking and fishing skills stay with him to this day. With great admiration for this special character, Casada writes, “Aunt Mag was a sterling example of an admirable work ethic, giving spirit and deep-rooted integrity. Her life and lifestyle, while never ones of treasures and pearls, remain exemplars of all that is good and gracious, enduring and endearing, in the high country ways I knew as a lad.”

This award-winning read is rooted in love, respect and appreciation in a time when that is exactly what we need most. You can read the full story at sportingclassicsdaily.com.

Established in 1981, Sporting Classics is the world’s leading magazine for preserving the heritage, the romance and the art of hunting and fishing. Written for active sportsmen and women who love to read, each issue is a big, thick volume packed with stories on all the things you love: guns, knives, tackle, adventures, art, dogs and collectibles, along with stories about the best writers, craftsmen, painters and sculptors who have and now make these great things possible.