Winner of the 2009 AF College Blogger Contest (Updated, with links!)

The second annual America’s Future Foundation College Blogger contest has drawn to a close, and the distinguished panel of judges has chosen The Arizona Desert Lamp as the winner. Operated by a group of students from the University of Arizona, the Desert Lamp beat out competition from students at top colleges across the land, including Columbia University, Yale, the University of Oregon, and elsewhere.

“It truly is an honor, especially after seeing the quality of the other sites,” said Evan Lisull, one of the blog’s authors, after hearing of the award. Along with co-editor Connor Mendenhall, Mr. Lisull takes home a first place prize of $10,000.

For the first time a second and third place prize were also awarded. Group blog The Oregon Commentator nabbed $3,000 and the silver, while Yale undergrad Max Rosett’s Ivy Sneakers took home third place and $1,000. The participants were judged by an all star roster of libertarian and conservative professional bloggers, including National Review’s Jonah Goldberg, The Atlantic’s Megan McArdle, Reason’s Radley Balko, Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin, The Heritage Foundation’s Robert Bluey, and Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit.

The winners were the head of a strong class of finalists. Their competitors included the Claremont Conservative, Neocon Blues, The New Republicans, Memoirs From a Young Conservative, UNR Students for Liberty, The Commentariat, and Vandy Right.