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OPA 2023 Student Contest Winners

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The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) is pleased to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 2023 High School Poetry Contests. Eligible poems were sent to the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Inc. Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest. All winning poems receive monetary awards and publication in an OPA chapbook. The grand prize-winning poem will be published in the 2024 issue of Common Threads, OPA's annual anthology.

We sincerely thank each contest sponsor and judge and congratulate the teachers from each school with student winning poems and honorable mentions. Special thanks to contest coordinator Jessica Weyer-Bentley for all her hard work to coordinate this year’s contests.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER
"Dementia" - Austin Blake, Buckeye Local H.S.
Teacher: Stephanie Crust

Category 1. Ethos 
Sponsor and Judge: Chuck Salmons 
1st: "I Set Myself to Sound" - Diana Zhang (The Seven Hills School)
2nd: "Dora" - Anna Kunkel (The Seven Hills School)
3rd: "Doubling Up" - Ahalya Nambiar (The Seven Hills School)
HM: Alex McDiffin (Buckeye Local H.S.) and Clair Liu (The Seven Hills School)

Category 2. Free Verse
Sponsor and Judge: Jessica Weyer Bentley
1st: "The King in Red" - Sebastian Owsley (Bath H.S.)
2nd: "P.S. She's the Stars" - Evy LaBare (The Seven Hills School)
3rd: "Golden Cliffs" - Lauren Vordem Esche (The Seven Hills School)

Category 3. Humor
Sponsor and Judge: Pat Snyder Hurley
1st: " 'Almost' Snowy Day" - Chris Ebright (Buckeye Local H.S.)

Category 4. Metrical Measures
Sponsor and Judge: Betsy Hughes
1st: "Dementia" - Austin Blake (Buckeye Local H.S.)
2nd: "Dear _________" - Emma Cales (Bath H.S.)
3rd: "Zoned Out" - Olivia Dorris (Sylvania Northview H.S.)
HM: Alec Finney (Buckeye Local H.S.), Anna Songer (Pleasant H.S.), and Allison Emfield (Buckeye Local H.S.)

Category 5. Lyric Poem
Sponsor and Judge: Simple Simon Press
1st: "The Arrival of Snow" - Rebeka Repp (Northview H.S.)
2nd: "Limerence" - Dougie Schecter (The Seven Hills School)
3rd: "Popular" - Sydney Snyder (Buckeye Local H.S.)
HM: Caiden Younger (Centennial H.S.), Maddix Richter (Buckeye Local H.S.), and Betty Bolock (Buckeye Local H.S.)

Category 6. Nature Poem
Sponsor and Judge: Kerry Trautman
1st: "Withering Flower" - Rahifa Maricar (Walnut Hills H.S.)
2nd: "Thunderstorm" - Shlok Mehta (The Seven Hills School)
HM: Arica Robertson (Struthers H.S.)

Category 7. Bill Molina: Celebration of Life’s Journey
Sponsor: Kelly Sagert; Judge: Dianne Borsenik
1st: "9 hours until vacation" - Addy Bonomo (Buckeye Local H.S.)
2nd: "Living life like a tree" - Dakota Turner (Buckeye Local H.S.)
3rd: "To Be Remembered" - Charlotte Quick (Sylvania Northview H.S.)
HM: Aidin Hosenfeld (Buckeye Local H.S.)

Category 8. Meter and Rhyme
Sponsor and Judge: Mark F. Stone
1st: "Fortnite's Blessing" - Aidin Hosenfeld (Buckeye Local H.S.)
2nd: "I Do Not Hate You" - Anna Songer (Pleasant H.S.)
3rd: "I Wish I Could See You" - Alexis Burress (Buckeye Local H.S.)
HM: Adison Muldrew (Buckeye Local H.S.) and Alyssa Dailey (Buckeye Local H.S.)


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Location: Ohio, USA

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