Several hundred Green River students submitted stories and poems in this year’s Young Authors Awards Competition.
Fredrick Schwartz, Sweetwater County School District No. 2’s Young Authors coordinator, said just one school alone submitted more than 300 entries, which made for a pretty tough competition.
Schwartz said each elementary school judges their own entries and then send him the first-place winners. In a second round of judging, it was narrowed down to 77 entries that placed first through third.
“I would say that this year is on par with the last two years for entries,” Schwartz said.
Students can enter one piece in each category, which are poetry, nonfiction and fiction.
“We write fiction to escape reality, while at the same time putting reality under a microscope,” he said. “We write nonfiction to learn from others’ past mistakes and successes. We write poetry to see beauty in the darkness, and hope in despair.”
“As always, fiction had the most entries. This is not surprising. Fiction is usually the most accessible and entertaining to read, as well as write,” Schwartz said. “With that being said, last year we had a large influx of nonfiction entries, while this year it seems that poetry began to make larger inroads. I am fascinated with the fluctuation of entries, and to see poetry, which usually has a very limited entry impact, mushroom into a major player is invigorating.”
Poetry is a different type of writing, Schwartz said, and because of that people tend to stay away from it.
“Poetry is a different type of animal in the writing wilderness, one that can be intimidating because your emotions are on such blatant display for all to see and ridicule,” he said. “Despite these past statistical entries, this year I received entries from all grade levels and all student demographics. It is very encouraging.”
To encourage students to write this year, Schwartz told them writing it a way to overcome one’s fear.
“In short, we write to change the world and become immortal. I also believe that writing is a way to learn about dealing with fear,” Schwartz said. “Every time an author puts their soul on display, they are gaining a tiny victory over fear; they may never win the war, but little victories add up.”
The hundreds of entries were judged on ideas and content, organization, voice, word, sentence fluency, conventions and presentation.
Schwartz said what’s nice about this program is anyone can be a judge.
“Now, I teach eighth-grade English, so I naturally gravitate towards educators, but I have people outside of education judge as well,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I recently spoke to a person who is newly published author, and he has expressed interest in being a judge next year.”
Schwartz said some of the schools encourage their students to work on their books not only in the classroom, but at home. Some even submit their books for a grade in their class. Other students only work on their books at home.
“While I am not 100 percent sure as to the numbers, I do believe we have a fairly equal number of entry types,” he said.
In the last two years, Schwartz has seen a change in the program.
“The largest change I have seen has been internal for me. My role in judging has evolved greatly over the past two years,” he said. “Whereas two years ago I felt I had to judge and evaluate every, single entry, I have realized that I have people who are not only there to help, they want to help.”
He’s learned to let them help, which has made his life easier.
“This year, I had the elementary schools only send me their placers instead of every, single entry. This is not only beneficial for my sanity, but for the students as well,” he said. “Having a more cosmopolitan judging pool helps minimize any subjective prejudice, actual or perceived, that may manifest itself. I cannot give my judges enough credit. They are the ones that make it possible. They are the ones who deserve praise along with all of the young authors.”
The students who took first place will move onto to the county level to compete for a chance to go to state.
The Sweetwater County Awards Celebration will take place March 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Middle School Auditorium.
Green River Young Author Awards Competition Results
Kindergarten
Fiction
First place: “Fredrics Advechur” by Flint Quiroz, Washington Elementary School
Second place: “Bowser Goes Home” by Braden Bramwell, Harrison Elementary School
Nonfiction
First place: “Fish” by Jaelyn Schnackenberg, Harrison Elementary School
Second place: “Me and My Dog” by Gavin Horn, Truman Elementary School
First Grade
Fiction
First place: “The Giant Vampire Fish” by Cooper R.D. Brownlee, Washington Elementary School
Second place: “What’s Happening” by Carter Johnson, Harrison Elementary School
Third place: “Storm Trooper Saving the Day” by AedanSkye Gaffey, Jackson Elementary School
Nonfiction
First place: “Sea World Adventure” by Annistyn Nielsen, Washington Elementary School
Second place: “I Love My Mom” by Cadence Core, Truman Elementary School
Third place: “Cats” by Ashley Martin, Jackson Elementary School
Poetry
First place: “Beans, Bananas and Games” by Miles Kreis, Jackson Elementary School
Second Grade
Fiction
First place: “Goggles for Lilac” by Remington Berkel, Truman Elementary School
Second place: “Norbert Saves the Day” by Andrew Bozner, Jackson Elementary School
Third place: “Daisy the Trick Master” by Aiden Mandros, Washington Elementary School
Nonfiction
First place: “The Ride of my Life” by Brooklyn Phillips, Jackson Elementary School
Second place: “The Story of Helen Keller” by Dylan Witt, Harrison Elementary School
Poetry
First place: “Animal Haiku” by Kaylin Indigo Benson, Truman Elementary School
Third Grade
Fiction
First place: “Coco” by Katelyn Tanner, Washington Elementary School
Second place: “First Born Curse” by Reghan Obray, Harrison Elementary School
Third place: “The Elf Came Late” by Kaylin Uhrig, Truman Elementary School
Nonfiction
First place: “What Christmas Means” by Kaleb Clark, Harrison Elementary School
Second place: “Owls” by Brynlee Cardova, Jackson Elementary School
Third place: “My Bike Accident” by Gracie Recker, Truman Elementary School
Poetry
First place: “Love Deep Inside” by Taylor Kendall, Washington Elementary School
Second place: “The King” by Sawyer Kreis, Jackson Elementary School
Fourth Grade
Fiction
First place: “The Dragons” by Taylor Flores, Jackson Elementary School
Second place: “The Girl Who Hates Pizza” by Nixie Guzman, Harrison Elementary School
Third place: “As the Crowd Cheers” by Jonathan Myers, Truman Elementary School
Nonfiction
First place: “The Best Birthday” by Madison Korkow, Harrison Elementary School
Second place: “Falconry in Wyoming” by Cecilia Painter, Jackson Elementary School
Third place: “My Baby Brothers” by Addisyn Page, Washington Elementary School
Poetry
First place: “The Glories of Winter” by Gabe Brown, Washington Elementary School
Fifth Grade
Fiction
First place: “Reigning Cats and Dogs” by Lily Harris, Monroe Intermediate School
Second place: “Rubies of Love” by Allona Brown, Monroe Intermediate School
Third place: “The Crazy Adventures of Weird Girl” by Morgan Benson, Monroe Intermediate School
Nonfiction
First place: “She is Malala” by Lily Harris, Monroe Intermediate School
Second place: “Emojis and Their History” by Allona Brown, Monroe Intermediate School
Third place: “Crack!” by Payton Maggi, Monroe Intermediate School
Poetry
First place: “My Family, My Heaven” by Lily Harris, Monroe Intermediate School
Second place: “The Good Life” by Julie Bowen, Monroe Intermediate School
Third place: “Poems of Nature” by Molly Stanton, Monroe Intermediate School
Sixth Grade
Fiction
First place: “Zombie Apocalypse!” By Emily Brady,” Monroe Intermediate School
Second place: “Aero” by Laural Kurth, Monroe Intermediate School
Third place: “The Toy Box” by Ammon Adams, Monroe Intermediate School
Nonfiction
First place: “My Life as a Twin” by Haylie Johnson, Monroe Intermediate School
Second place: “Yellowstone Caldera” by Alex Hudson, Monroe Intermediate School
Third place: “My Trip to Bear Lake, Utah” by Ashley Hernandez, Monroe Intermediate School
Poetry
First place: “Sweet Dreams” by Sariah Maez, Monroe Intermediate School
Second place: “Emotions Throughout the Day” by Rylie Johnson, Monroe Intermediate School
Third place: “A Few of My Favorite” by Landon Finstad, Monroe Intermediate School
Seventh Grade
Fiction
First place: “Once Upon A Time” by Mckenna Kropf, Kimber Academy
Second place: “The Ghost Man” by Kaylee Nelson, Lincoln Middle School
Third place: “The Nightmare” by Hale Iwen, Lincoln Middle School
Nonfiction
First place: “All About Me” by Kaylee Nelson, Lincoln Middle School
Poetry
First place: “Life in Color” by Mckenna Kropf, Kimber Academy
Eighth Grade
Fiction
First place: “The Matches” by Allison Brown, Lincoln Middle School
Nonfiction
First place: “A Beautiful New Smile” by Allison Brown, Lincoln Middle School
Poetry
First place: “The Powers of Earth” by Allison Brown, Lincoln Middle School
10th Grade
Fiction
First place: “Close to You” by Robyn Jauregui, Green River High School
Poetry
First place: “The Skeletons Are Out” by Kassi Jo Rasmussen, GRHS
11th Grade
Fiction
First place: “Avae” by Socorra Smith, GRHS
Second place: “My Mother’s Killer” by Kaitlynn Sharp, GRHS
Third place: “When the Rain Comes” by Emily Mitchell, GRHS
Nonfiction
First place: “Salt and Pepper” by Kelby Pope, GRHS
Second place: “The Ultimate Lesson” by Nick Findlow, GRHS
Third place: “To the Beginning Again” by Erik Gwaltney, GRHS
Poetry
First place: “What Life Means To Me” by Amber Juel, GRHS
Second place: “Human Suffering” by Vincent Leahy, GRHS
Third place: “Set Me Free” by Emily Mitchell, GRHS
12th Grade
Fiction
First place: “Faceless” by Aaron Allred, GRHS
Second place: “Why Does the Wind Blow?” by Caitlyn Crawford, GRHS
Third place: “Creation of Many Things” by Alexandra Click, GRHS
Nonfiction
First place: “Through the Mind of a Child” by Sarah Kropf, GRHS
Second place: “Control” by Demitria Green, GRHS
Third place: “The Gasp for Air” by Syree Burraston, GRHS
Poetry
First place: “2 Months, 1 Week, 4 Days” by Sarah Kropf, GRHS
Second place: “The Rhyme of the River” by Logan Johnson. GRHS
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