Green River authors fared well in the countywide young author’s competition.
Hundreds of entries from both school districts were narrowed down to only 34 entries that will advance to state.
Fredrick Schwartz, Sweetwater County School District No. 2 young authors coordinator said, Green River will have 15 students advancing to state, while Rock Springs will have 19 and Holy Spirit Catholic School will have three advancing in the state’s Young Author Awards competition.
“I am continually impressed with number and quality of the entries every year,” he said.
The first-place winners received trophies and certificates, while those receiving honorable mentions were given medals and certificates. This was all done at a ceremony at the Lincoln Middle School auditorium last Wednesday.
“I think Green River did very well. To win almost half of the county awards versus a town with the population and number of entries as Rock Springs, it is certainly a testament to the quality and creativity of our students in Green River,” Schwartz said.
“Every year, I see a lot of familiar names on entries, and I love seeing how their writing has progressed.”
However, Schwartz said he also noticed a lot of new names on entries, which makes him optimistic for the future of the program.
“The blend of experience and new talent made for a memorable competition,” he said.
Green River will have about 41 percent of the county awards going to state and believes both districts will do well at state.
“If the past is any indicator, Sweetwater County should take home its fair share of state titles,” he said.
The county’s first-place entries were already sent to the state judges last week and the results should be back by mid-April.
For Schwartz, he tries to encourage students to use their inner voices to create work.
“The young authors program encourages children in many ways, but this year I focused on fear,” he said. “Now I know that may sound odd, but I encouraged them to use their fear in their writing. After all, fear is one thing that everyone can relate to, and by facing your fear and using it to foster creativity, it allows you to connect to readers.”
He said good writers know that a reader needs to care about what was written or they will move on to another book or story.
“Creativity often has odd stimuli, and fear can be an integral part of creativity,” he said.
Fiction winners
Karson Wamsley, kindergarten, Desert View Elementary, “Dino Catchers”
Cooper Brownlee, first grade, Washington Elementary, “The Giant Vampire Fish”
Evan Berry, second grade, Sage Elementary, “Two Gun Man Teke One Cool Cowboy”
Daxon Hoffman, third grade, Sage Elementary, “The Lost Island”
Andy Schaechterle, fourth grade, Desert View Elementary, “The Summer That I Thought Would Be Horrible”
Lily Harris, fifth grade, Monroe Intermediate School, “Reigning Cats and Dogs”
Katie Copsey, sixth grade, Holy Spirit Catholic School, “The Mystery of the Emerald Statue”
McKenna Kropf, seventh grade, Kimber Academy, “Once Upon a Time”
Allison Brown, eighth grade, Lincoln Middle School, “The Matches”
Porter Hansen, ninth grade, Black Butte High School, “The Door”
Kylie Adkison, 10th grade, Rock Springs High School, “Promised Land”
Brookelynn Corbett, 11th grade, RSHS, “Tales of the Forgotten Kingdom Vixen’s Exile”
Aaren Allred, 12th grade, Green River High School, “Faceless”
Fiction honorable mention
Flint Quiroz, kindergarten, Washington Elementary, “Fredrics Advechur”
Lila Brown, first grade, Sage Elementary, “The Magic Adventure”
Wren Curran, first grade, Holy Spirit Catholic School, “Elle and Jarod”
Remington Berkel, second grade, Truman Elementary, “Goggles for Lilac”
Mason Munoz, third grade, Holy Spirit Catholic School, “The Doom Book Subject: Mutant Worm”
Katelyn Tanner, third grade, Washington Elementary, “Coco”
Taylor Flores, fourth grade, Jackson Elementary, “The Dragons”
Abby St. Marie, fifth grade, Holy Spirit Catholic School, “Ups and Downs of Mrs. Matason”
Ivie Schaechterle, fifth grade, Eastside Elementary, “Kyler’s Story”
Emily Brady, sixth grade, Monroe Intermediate School, “Zombie Apocalypse”
Shane Meats, sixth grade, Pilot Butte Elementary, “Realm X”
Alaina Kothe, seventh grade, Rock Springs Junior High, “Sagittarius”
Braelyn Ramirez, eighth grade, RSJH, “One Game”
Robyn Jauregui, 10th grade, GRHS, “Close to You”
Socorra Smith, 11th grade, GRHS, “Avae”
Nonfiction winners
Kenrick Fitch, kindergarten, Overland Elementary, “Watermelons’
Aven Conover, first grade, Desert View Elementary, “My Christmas Break”
Kendall Skorcz, second grade, Holy Spirit Catholic School, “My Mom is Having a Baby Boy”
Kaleb Clark, third grade, Harrison Elementary, “What Christmas Means”
Madison Korkow, fourth grade, Harrison Elementary, “The Best Birthday”
Keylee Johansen, fifth grade, Eastside Elementary, ‘Looking Through Lehi’s Eyes”
Haylie Johnson, sixth grade, MIS, “My Life as a Twin”
Alaina Kothe, seventh grade, RSJH, “Legendary”
Allison Brown, eighth grade, LMS, “A Beautiful Smile”
Celeste Keelin, 10th grade, RSHS, “Uncle”
Kelloy Pope, 11th grade, GRHS, “Salt and Pepper”
Sarah Kropf, 12th grade, GRHS, “Through the Mind of a Child”
Nonfiction honorable mention
Jaelyn Schnackenberg, kindergarten, Harrison Elementary, “Fish”
Annistyn Nielsen, first grade, Washington Elementary, “Sea World Adventure”
Brookelyn Phillips, second grade, Jackson Elementary, “The Ride of My Life”
Caleb Pollastro, second grade, Stagecoach Elementary, “Sadness Passed Down to Happiness”
Yuliza Vicencio, third grade, Westridge Elementary, “A Gasp for Air”
Toni Clark, fourth grade, Westridge Elementary, “Michael Symon’s Culinary Life”
Lily Harris, fifth grade, MIS, “She is Malala”
Kaylee Nelson, seventh grade, LMS, “All About Me”
Michaela Doyle, eighth grade, RSJH, “My Dad and His Brain Injury”
Poetry winners
Miles Kreis, first grade, Jackson Elementary, “Beans, Bananas, and Games”
Kody Kramer, second grade, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, “My Favorite Things”
MaryLynn Stewart, third grade, Desert View Elementary, “Special Things”
Teague Powell, fourth grade, Sage Elementary, “Prose by a Pro”
Lily Harris, fifth grade, MIS, “My Family, My Heaven”
Sariah Maez, sixth grade, MIS, “Sweet Dreams”
Alaina Kothe, seventh grade, RSJH, “We All Have Our Battles”
Kyrah Schultz, eighth grade, RJSH, “Spoken Words of a Creative Mind”
Chloe Lasley, ninth grade, RSHS, “Welcome to My World”
Kassi Jo Rasmussen, 10th grade, GRHS, “The Skeletons are Out”
Rheanna Fuller, 11th grade, RSHS, “A Fading Smile”
Bailee Radakovich, 12th grade, RSHS, “Violet Grace”
Poetry honorable mention
Declan Hays, second grade, Desert View Elementary, “Awesome Stuff and Rocks are Rough”
Kaylin Benson, second grade, Truman Elementary, “Animal Haiku”
Taylor Kendall, third grade, Washington Elementary, “Love Deep Inside”
Gabe Brown, fourth grade, Washington Elementary, “The Glories of Winter”
Kirklin Hay, fifth grade, Farson Elementary, “Hilarious Days”
Kade Kramer, fifth grade, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, “Basketball A Collection of Poems”
McKenna Kropf, seventh grade, Kimber Academy, “Life in Color”
Allison Brown, eighth grade, LMS, “The Powers of Earth”
Jennifer Kerns, 10th grade, RSHS, “The Hurting Head”
Amber Juel, 11th grade, GRHS, “What Life Means to Me”
Sarah Kropf, 12th grade, GRHS, “2 Months 1 Week 4 Days”
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