Numerous Mars Area High School and Mars Area Middle School students competed in the 2026 Youngstown State University English Festival, held April 22-24.

At the Grades 10-12 event (April 22), senior Stevie Oberhofer took first place; junior Faith Pearson, second place; and senior Madeline James, third place in the Connections event. Junior Claire Norris earned first place, in the NSTP event and junior Reagan Dunn received honorable mention in the Journalism event.

Sophomore Sage Mahan took third place and senior Stevie Oberhofer received fourth place in the Writing Games. Senior Kiara Van Wyk received fourth place and sophomore Sage Mahan received an honorable mention in the Impromptu event.

Other participants included seniors Giana Bisceglia, Naeema Dheen and Zoe Passeralli; juniors Lily Cicconi, Sophia Gourash, Lily King, Ava Moravek, Amanda Morrison and Claire Norris; and, sophomores Kayden Gromacki and Addison Neese.

At the Grades 7-9 event (April 24), freshman Elizabeth Shaha earned first place in the Writing Games. Eighth-grader Jeffrey Werner took first place in the Connections event.

Eighth-graders Karter Peters and Mary Rhenish each took second place and seventh-grader Grace Carnicelli received third place in the NSTP event. Freshman Madeline Gibson took third place in the Journalism event and eighth-grader Jeffrey Werner received an honorable mention in the Writing Games.

Seventh-grader Hannah Nam received sixth place; eighth-grader Mary Rhenish, seventh place; seventh-grader Grace Carnicelli, eighth place; and eighth-grader Emma Johnston, ninth place in the Impromptu event. Freshmen Ella George, Lindsey Hutchens, Elizabeth Shaha and Allison Sottile; eighth-grader Everly Henderson and seventh-grader Madeline Carchedi all received honorable mentions in the Impromptu event.

Other participants included freshmen Elise Heil, Lindsey Hutchens, Kinley Manges and Rhythm Srivastava.

To prepare for the event, the students read seven books selected by the English Festival Committee. At the festival, guest speakers included authors Chris Crowe, Randy Ribay and Maggie Steifvater, and students participated in writing workshops in addition to competing in literature-related games.

The annual event, open to students in Grades 7-12, welcomes students from schools in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio and is meant to promote and cultivate reading and writing.

For more information, visit YSU English Festival.