Area 7th and 8th graders compete in district Power of the Pen writing tournament

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - 7th and 8th graders from schools around the region put their creative writing skills to the test.

The district level of the Power of the Pen competition was hosted at Ohio State Lima on Saturday. Students were given a time limit to write three different stories based on the prompts revealed each round. Writing skills are useful in most careers, and other parts of life, so the tournament aims to encourage kids to keep improving and reward them for their efforts.

"This tournament allows students the opportunity to have their work published in a book of winners, which is a really great platform for young adults. Creative writing in today's world of technology where everything is scrolling, where everything is on a screen, I think this is a really unique opportunity to put emotions, to put feelings, thoughts, and words, onto paper. So I think for them to have something that's their own, that's original, out in the world is such a huge confidence builder," Karaline Grubaugh, the Northwest Regional Director of Power of the Pen.

The winners of the district competition are:

Team Results:

7th Grade:

1. West Side Montesorri
2. Houston Junior High
3. Kenton Middle School
4. Coldwater Middle School

8th Grade:

1. New Bremen Junior High School
2. Houston Junior High
3. West Side Montessori
4. Upper Scioto Valley Schools

Individual Results:

7th Grade:

1. Angelica Teets, West Side Montessori
2. Anelia Zajac, West Side Montessori
3. Claire Holscher, Houston Junior High
4. Alyssa Froning, Coldwater Middle School
5. Addisyn Hites, Kenton Middle School
6. Mirilee Dyer, Kenton Middle School
7. Taylor Wagner, Houston Junior High
8. Xavier Rhoades, Russia Local School
9. Ashkii Smith, Kenton Middle School
10. Vincente Ononye, West Side Montessori
11. Grace Heyne, Coldwater Middle School
12. Sophia Roberts, West Side Montessori

8th Grade:

1. Kara Suchland, New Bremen Junior High School
2. Kaelyn Richardson, Houston Junior High
3. Lillian Morris, Wapakoneta Junior High School
4. Ravyn Bitters, Wapakoneta Junior High School
5. Lynnze Michel, Kenton Middle School
6. Eleanora Stepnick, West Side Montesorri
7. Shaan Lealh, West Side Montesorri
8. A'Raya Boyd, Upper Scioto Valley Schools
9. Lacey Naseman, Houston Junior High
10. Vivian Trejo, New Bremen Junior High School
11. Natalie Sullenberger, Russia Local School
12. Audrey Dietzman, New Bremen Junior High School