(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - April 21, 2014) - - - More than 320 high school students participated in Columbia State Community College's annual High School Competition last month when students from 17 southern Middle Tennessee high schools competed in 18 different academic areas, including creative writing, vocal performance, algebra and sociology.

"I enjoyed being surrounded by so much energy," said Beverly Mitchell, professor of English. "It was obvious the students enjoyed representing their schools."

Dating back to the 1980s, the competition continues to focus on humanities disciplines and has since added math components. Each year, there continues to be an increase in the number of schools in attendance as well as an increase in the number of student participants.

"We're so pleased with the increased participation of the high schools in our service area," said Susanna Holmes, associate professor of English and event organizer. "I'm very grateful to our wonderful faculty and staff here at the college for their continued support and enthusiasm for the competition."

U.S. Constitution (left to right): First place winner, Matthew Guardo of Fairview High School; second place winner, Michael Lang of Frank Hughes High School; and third place winner, Thomas Hopkins of Santa Fe Unit School.

Essay (left to right): First place winner, Megan Clark of Fairview High School; second place winner, Emily Spence of Marshall County High School; and third place winner, Haley Morris of Frank Hughes High School.


Vocal Performance (left to right): First place winner, Eboni Perkins of Spring Hill High School; second place winner, Trenton Turner of Marshall County High School; and third place winner, Julianne Blackburn of Frank Hughes High School.

Beginning Spanish Translation (left to right): First place winner, Lacey Staggs of Frank Hughes High School; second place winner, Joseph Bauer of Hampshire Unit School; and third place winner, Cameron Bogle of Marshall County High School.

Intermediate Spanish Translation (left to right): First place winner, Jose Andres Juarez Hernandez of Loretto High School; second place winner, Francelia Rogel of Marshall County High School; and third place winner, Fernando Cano of Fairview High School.

Piano Performance (left to right): First place winner, Andrew Harwell of Richland High School; second place winner, Josh Flake of Fairview High School; and third place winner, Colten Strait of Collinwood High School.

Extemporaneous Speech (left to right): First place winner, Benjamin Gregory of Fairview High School; second place winner, Noble Langley Orie of Hickman County High School; and third place winners, Carlo Quintanilla of Fairview High School and McKinley Heard of Collinwood High School.

World Geography (left to right): First place winner, Drake Borre of Fairview High School; second place winner, Ethan Cooper of Lawrence County High School; and third place winner, Devin Heard of Fairview High School.

Algebra II (left to right): First place winner, Corey Tidwell of Hickman County High School; second place winner, James Grayson of Fairview High School; and third place winner, Lucas McClanahan of Santa Fe Unit School.

Creative Writing - Impromptu Fiction (left to right): First place winner, Skylyr Hawkins of Fairview High School; second place winner, Anna Shipley of Spring Hill High School; and third place winner, Kendell Hardison of Columbia Academy.

Creative Writing - Impromptu Poetry (left to right): First place winner, Anastasia Serafino of Middle College High School; second place winner, Mariah Mims of Spring Hill High School; and third place winner, Grace Cadle of Middle College High School.

Oral Interpretation (left to right): First place winner, Juliet Lang of Fairview High School; second place winner, Ashley Anaya of Marshall County High School; and third place winner, Kaitlyn Devore of Hampshire Unit School.

Mass Communication (left to right): First place winner, Casey Veradt of Mt. Pleasant High School; second place winner, Catie Latham of East Hickman High School; and third place winner, Elise Galbreath of East Hickman High School.

American History (left to right): First place winner, Hunter Sweeney of Marshall County High School; second place winner, Lucas McClanahan of Santa Fe Unit School; and third place winner, Tanner Wray of Lawrence County High School.

Sociology (left to right): First place winner, Joelie West of Mt. Pleasant High School; second place winner, Allison Scates of East Hickman High School; and third place winner, Taylor Johnson of Fairview High School.

Psychology (left to right): First place winner, Skylar Lovvo of Richland High School; second place winner, Jacob Istre of Hickman County High School; and third place winner, Logan Campbell of Hickman County High School.

Trigonometry (left to right): First place winner, Landon Kilagallon of Columbia Academy; second place winner, Amanda Groover of Giles County High School; and third place winner, James Grayson of Fairview High School.

Video (left to right): First place winner, Steven Salazar of Hickman County High School, and second place winners, Devon Davaloz, Christopher Hendry, Jon Holt and Edward Lovell of Richland High School.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the largest higher education systems in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.