Jackson's Lucy Martinez wins Poetry Out Loud competition

Lucy Martinez of Summit High School in Jackson is the winner of this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition administered by the Wyoming Arts Council.

This year’s runner up is Taelor Nielsen from Worland High School. Third place was awarded to Lauren Haiar of Sundance Secondary School.

As state champion, Martinez will receive $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete at the National Finals, May 2-4. Summit High School will receive a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books. Nielsen will receive $100; and Worland High School will receive $200 for the purchase of poetry books.

Poetry Out Loud is the national recitation and memorization contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. Designed specifically for students in grades 9-12 attending public, private or home schools, the POL program is a fun way to teach and learn language arts standards through poetry.

Eight students from high schools around Wyoming participated in the state competition, which was at the Historic Atlas Theatre on March 7. Participating schools were: Kaycee High School, Western Heritage Lutheran Academy (Riverton), Sundance Secondary School, Summit High School (Jackson), Star Lane Center (Casper), Worland High School, Upton High School, and Buffalo High School.

This year’s judges for the state competition were Colorado poet Adrian Molina, Wyoming poet Matt Daly, and Wyoming’s Poet Laureate A. Rose Hill. State Auditor Cynthia Cloud announced the winners and presented certificates at a ceremony on Tuesday, March 8.

For more information, please contact Rachel Clifton at [email protected], 307-777-5305.