BOTKINS — Versailles Middle School’s seventh- and eighth-grade teams both took top honors at the district level Power of the Pen contest at Botkins Local Schools, Feb. 13.
Thirteen schools each sent two teams to the competition, whose winning students will progress to the regional round in Fort Loramie next month. Students were required to write essays and short stories according to three themes. They had 40 minutes to complete each theme. Awards were made to individual students for best of round and for points accumulated in each round. Schools were awarded based on total points of the team members.
The rest of the school rankings in order were as follows:
Seventh grade: Fort Loramie Junior High, New Bremen Middle, Coldwater Middle, Houston High, Anna Middle, St. Marys Middle, Holy Angels, Minster Middle, Botkins Local, Mississinawa Valley, DeColores Montessori, St. Gerard.
Eighth grade: Holy Angels, Minster Middle, Houston High, coldwater Middle, Anna Middle, St. marys Middle, Fort Loramie Junior High, Botkins Local, Nw Bremen Middle, Mississinawa Valley, St. Gerard, DeColores Montessori.
Individual students’ placement was as follows:
Seventh-grade best of round winners: Madison Gels, Coldwater Middle School; Macy Duhaine, Houston High School; Jayden Abels, Coldwater Middle School.
Eighth-grade best of round winners: Sarah Ham, Holy Angels School; Calla Ferguson, New Bremen Middle School; Kayla Helman, Anna Middle School.
Seventh-grade point rankings, in order: Lynzee Keaton, Fort Loramie Junior High; Max Schmiesing, Holy Angels; Jayden Abels, Coldwater Middle; Macy Duhaime, Houston High; Ava Grudick, Fort Loramie Junior High; Lauren Menke, Versailles Middle; Chloe Grillot, Versailles Middle; Brooke Timmerman, Versailles Middle; Natalie Pitre, Anna Middle; Angelieh Behr, Holy Angels; Maddy Wills, Houston High; Kirsten Brotherwood, St. Marys Middle.
Eighth-grade point rankings, in order: Hannah Bey, Versailles Middle; Tori Sevier, Minster Middle; Skyla Webb, Minster Middle; Ryleigh Young, St. Marys Middle; Jacob Trent, Houston High; Sarah Ham, Holy Angels; Patrick Meiring, Houston High; Deatra Reinhard, Coldwater Middle; Jenna McClure, Versailles Middle; Taylor Hainline, Versailles Middle; Jenna Allen, Holy Angels; Autumn Lampert, Anna Middle.
Team coaches served as judges to award points in each round. The best of round judges were Sidney Daily News Localife Editor Patricia Ann Speelman, Sidney Daily News contributing writer Elaine Schweller-Snyder and Bob Robinson, managing editor of County News Online in Darke County.
