The judges selected "History" as their winner because it had every element a good spot news story needs. It was the clear winner. The team was ready to record the event (the photojournalist was shooting the weather from the passenger seat). The writing was clear and clever at the same time. The photojournalist caught the moments and did not clutter them with forced edits. One judge summed up the winner with this "I suspect the stars were lining up that day."
The judges went on the say the remaining stories had great elements. They all had solid shooting and most photographers were in the right place at the right time. None of the remaining entries possesed all the elements that made "History" the clear winner.