Several Mars Area Middle School students competed in the 2022 Youngstown State University English Festival, held April 8.

In the Writing Games, eighth-grader Clarke Wickland was on the team that took first place and eighth-grader Anderson Palmer on the second place team. Eighth-graders Olivia Dickson and Kiara Van Wyk and seventh-grader Vivian Black received honorable mentions.

In the “Not So Trivial” Pursuit contest, eighth-graders Sydney Denk, Clarke Wickland and Isabel Radens earned first place and seventh-grader Sophia Furman took second place. In the Limericks competition, eighth-grader Bella Staines took first place; and eighth-graders Gianna Goodman and Aubree Machi received third place.

Other participants included eighth-graders Sarah Arnold, Sara Biaggini, Sarah Buttyan, Riley Carrel, Julian Coquette, Alexa Everhart, Maddie George, Cora Huffman, Riana Palm, Carter Snyder, Rachel Snyder and Audrey Stephenson; and seventh-graders Lily Cicconi and Amanda Morrison.

The annual event, open to students in Grades 7-12, welcomes of students from schools in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio and is meant to promote and cultivate reading and writing. For more information, visit http://ysuenglishfestival.org.