EXCELLENCE:

Three Latino journalists are among winners of the Society of Professional Journalists 2001 Sigma Delta Chi excellence in journalism awards announced May 1. The Los Angeles Times' Steve Lopez won in the general column writing category for a collection of columns on such topics as professional passengers and the carpool lane. Carlos Gonzalez of the San Francisco Chronicle won in the photo illustration category for "Circle of Friends," developed for a story on meeting people and making friends online. Javier Lizarzaburu of the BBC-Spanish won in the feature reporting category for radio for "Cruces," a series of programs on U.S.-Mexico relations.