Chaparral contest awards young poets

March 2, 2018 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE – Winning poem topics at Friday night’s awards ceremony for the annual Chaparral Youth Poetry Contest ranged from video games and falling leaves to a hungry bear who ate a poem.

First place winner in the grades six-nine division, Hailey Martin, from Hurricane Middle School, reads her poem “Journey of a Leaf” during the Chaparral Youth Poetry Awards Ceremony at the American Legion Hall, St. George, Utah, March 2, 2018 | Photo by Reuben Wadsworth, St. George News

The awards were presented at the American Legion Hall in St. George, where winners received cash prizes and a certificate commemorating their achievement. Most read their poems to an audience of family and friends. One father, whose daughter was unable to attend, read her poem while a friend held up her picture.

Following is a list of the winners’ names, their grades, schools and winning poem titles:

First-third graders.

First place – Emmett Riding, third grade, Diamond Valley Elementary, “Mario Kart.”
Second place – Mya Anderson, third grade, Diamond Valley Elementary, “Everybody Has a Name.”
Third place – William Jeffs, second grade, Diamond Valley Elementary, “Ninjitsu.”

Fourth-fifth grade

First place – Lily Tilby, fourth grade, Vista Charter, “A Bear Ate My Poem.”
Second place – Harlee Lee-Sorrell, fifth grade, Diamond Valley Elementary, “I am Broken.”
Third place – Caleb Spragg, fourth grade, Diamond Valley Elementary, “I am a Shoe.”

Sixth-ninth grade

First place – Hailey Martin, eighth grade, Hurricane Middle School, “Journey of a Leaf.”
Second place – Ashley Chadburn, seventh grade, Fossil Ridge Intermediate School, “The Peaceful Disturbance.”
Third place – Roxanne Sheley, ninth grade, Hurricane Middle School, “Autumn.”

Tenth-12th grade

First place – Madison Pay, 12th grade, Pine View High School, “Grandmother Aspen.”
Second place – Jon Zabriskie, 12th grade, Pine View High School, “Restless Feet.”
Third place – Abbey Bennion, 12th grade, Pine View High School, “Touched by the Robin.”

Editor’s note: The author of this article is one of the organizers of the poetry contest.

Email: rwadsworth@stgnews.com

Twitter: @STGnews