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The March monthly contest had 100 entries submitted. Schools earning the most awards are Mill Valley High School and Maize Career Academy. Mill Valley earned a total of seven awards. Maize Career Academy came in as a close second with six earned awards.

Video

• 1st Place: Trey Reisman, Curtis Wellborn, Trevor Sites from Maize Career Academy 
• 2nd Place: Lanie Wolf, Ella Stillings from Maize Career Academy 
• 3rd Place: No Award Given

News Page Design

• 1st Place: Sabrina San Agustin from Blue Valley Northwest

• 2nd Place: Isabel Blasdel, Brue Polley, Levi Eck from Maize Career Academy

• 3rd Place: Anna Richardson from Kapaun-Mount Carmel

Academics Photography

• 1st Place: Jewel Hardin from Derby High School

As her rose starts to take shape, freshman Roxy Wirt ponders her next step in Introduction to Airbrush. Wirt’s talent in airbrush largely stemmed from her focus on learning a variety of skills in her first try in this field of art. “I think a lot of what they enjoy is it’s just them,” teacher Roger Scovell said. “Their success is determined by the effort they put out…. Students are nervous, but I’ll teach them how to use the pencil, compass, brush, how to hold the brush.

• 2nd Place: Caroline Soppe from Seaman High School

Junior Tyler Riggles focuses on shaping his creation for ceramics class. For his sculpture, Riggles decided to make a pufferfish because he wanted to challenge his skills creating ceramic art.

• 3rd Place: Natalie Martinez from Bishop Miege High School

Listening to the pitch, fine arts department chair Robin Christie plays notes on the piano for the girls choir to match. The Girls Glee concert prepared the girls choir for the KMEA performance the next day. “The energy was high and exciting,” Christie said. “It was a great concert.”

News Writing

• 1st Place: Allie Fischer from Salina Central High School 
• 2nd Place: Brianna Sheets from Salina Central High School 
• 3rd Place: Emma Alderman from Wabaunsee High School 

Photo Illustration

• 1st Place: Quinn Franken from Mill Valley High School

• 2nd Place: Alexa Garrett, Trinity Rouse from Kapaun-Mount Carmel

• 3rd Place: Grant Waggoner, Bridget Johnson from Maize Career Academy

Sports Writing

• 1st Place: Chloe Highsmith from Salina Central High School 
• 2nd Place: Lauren Schutter from Wabaunsee High School 
• 3rd Place: Katilyn Burke, Julia Coacher from Mill Valley High School 

Sports Photography

• 1st Place: Jessica Witt from Blue Valley Northwest

Sophomore Josephine Johnson focuses on hitting a ball during soft toss with her teammate during tryouts March 1. “I think what I like most about soft toss is that it’s more game-like, whereas when you hit off of a tee, the ball isn’t moving,” Johnson said.

• 2nd Place: Bailey Thompson from Blue Valley Northwest

Junior Grant Stubblefield goes up for a one-handed dunk alongside seniors Joey Robinson and Avnoor Bhullar at the end of the semifinal game of the 2022 6A State Basketball Tournament against Lawrence Free State, March 11. “It felt really special,” Stubblefield said. “It’s a moment I’ll have forever and remember forever.” The Huskies defeated the Firebirds, 51-42.

• Third Place: Brittanie Rooney from Eudora High School

-Sophomore Adrion Seals takes flight on a third and final attempt in the long jump during a quad track meet at Eudora High School Mar. 29, 2022. Seals finished with a jump of 19 feet, 4 inches to place first. “It was a tough first meet to jump in with the wind, but it felt good to get back into real competition again,” said Seals. Wellsville, Paola, and Piper were the other teams competing in their first meets of the year.

Infographics

• 1st Place: Chloe Miller, Emma Clement from Mill Valley High School

• 2nd Place: Alexis Baty from Maize Career Academy

• 3rd Place: Alexa Garrett from Kapaun-Mount Carmel

Multimedia Storytelling

• 1st Place: Quinn Franken, Gabby Delpleash, Avery Gathright, Abigail Troilo from Mill Valley High School 
• 2nd Place: Bethany Druse from Seaman High School 
• 3rd Place: Lauren Cannata, Elise Canning, Halle Wampler from Mill Valley High School 

Yearbook Layout

• 1st Place: Samantha Bailey from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

• 2nd Place: Cooper Chadwick from Derby High School

• 3rd Place: Saylor Schultz from Blue Valley Northwest

Yearbook Copy

• 1st Place: No Award Given
• 2nd Place: No Award Given
• 3rd Place: No Award Given

Portrait

• 1st Place: Kateryna Syniavska from Blue Valley West High School

Last Laugh. On Feb. 24 Russia invaded Ukraine. Babusya Syniavska took a walk with her granddaughter in western Ukraine on March 3. The next weekend, her daughter and her family left for Poland. The daughter remained in Poland to stay near Syniavska but sent her daughter to America to study and be safe. “I love my new school but miss my family,” Syniavska’s granddaughter, Kateryna said. “Studying is hard in English all day.”

• 2nd Place: Shea McGraw from Bishop Miege High School

Getting called up, senior Lizzie Weixeldorfer hears her name in the pep assembly for varsity girls winning state as a manager. This was Weixeldorfer’s fourth year as a basketball manager and her third year as varsity manager. “I was so proud [when they won state] because I know how hard they work and how many people they have against them,” Weixeldorfer said.

• 3rd Place: Charlie Trent from Blue Valley High School

In an email to the BV community, principal Scott Bacon announced his retirement at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. “I will always hold my time, experiences, and memories in the Blue Valley community near and dear to my heart,” Bacon said in the email. “I cannot thank you enough for your tremendous support and encouragement over the years. My love for the students, staff, and families of the Blue Valley community will be everlasting.”

Feature Writing

• 1st Place: Alyssa Gagnon, Libby Addison from Blue Valley Northwest 
• 2nd Place: Gabb Delpleash, Avery Gathright, Abigail Troilo from Mill Valley High School 
• 3rd Place: Bridget Johnson from Maize Career Academy 

Student Life Photography

• 1st Place: Emily Brewer from Seaman High School

Snowball King Tuan Vu fixes newly crowned Snowball Queen Hannah Mott’s tiara after it tipped forward, nearly falling off. Vu and Mott were crowned between the boys and girls basketball game on Feb. 18, 2022.

• 2nd Place: Elizabeth Springer from Trinity Catholic High School

After completing a radio interview about his new plant species, Audrey II, Seymour, played by Ben Godina (12), and the doo wop girls, played by Lauren Harding (11), Mary Newboles and Maggie Bourell (11), pose for a newspaper photo. The second musical of the school year, Trinity Catholic’s Theater program combined acting, singing and puppeteering in “Little Shop of Horrors.” “This was the only scene in which I had to feel the struggle of being a puppeteer. But it was a lot of fun getting to animate myself and a puppet at the same time,” Godina said.

• 3rd Place: Sydney Brown from Olathe West High School

Senior Erica Johnson holds a sign during the girls sub-state basketball game between Olathe West and Olathe North on March 3. Earlier that day, Olathe schools were notified about a shooting that took place at Olathe East, injuring two faculty. Both student sections decided to dress in orange and blue and decorate the gym with posters in support of Olathe East.

Opinion Writing

• 1st Place: Bennie Conner from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School 
• 2nd Place: Gabby Delpleash from Mill Valley High School 
• 3rd Place: Lasirra Hines from Manhattan High School