(COLUMBIA, Tenn. - May 2, 2018) - - - More than 300 high school students recently participated in Columbia State Community College's annual High School Competition when students from 17 southern Middle Tennessee high schools competed in 18 different academic areas, including creative writing, vocal performance, algebra and sociology.

"It's always refreshing to see the next generation of young scholars giving their best in the various subjects in the competition," said Joseph Cook, Columbia State instructor of English. "It was an adrenaline-packed day and we hope to make next year's competition bigger and better."

Dating back to the 1980s, the competition continues to focus on humanities disciplines and has since added math components.

Photo Caption: Video First place winners, Breanna Binns, Emily Malone and Seth Clarke of Santa Fe Unit School; second place winners, Harrison, Timmy O'Brien and Stephen McCollum of Zion Christian Academy; and third place winners, Kris Warf, Joseph Fox and Mackenzie Butcher of Richland High School. Pictured (back row, left to right): Breanna Binns, Harrison Cothran and Joseph Fox. (front row, left to right): Emily Malone, Mackenzie Butcher and Kris Warf.

Photo Caption: Beginner Spanish/English Translation (left to right): First place winner, Carla O'Neal of Frank Hughes High School; second place winner, Betsabi Colin of Columbia Central High School; and third place winner, Eden K. of Frank Hughes High School.

Photo Caption: Extemporaneous Speech (left to right): First place winner, Will Shirel of Columbia Academy; second place winner, Keidron Turner of Giles County High School; and third place winner, Lidiya Melnychenko of Spring Hill High School.

Photo Caption: Advanced Spanish/English Translation (left to right): First place winner, Jacqueline Licona of East Hickman High School; second place winner, José Oscar Casco of Spring Hill High School; and third place winner, Bailey Adams of Richland High School.

Photo Caption: Psychology (left to right): First place winner, Shannon Andrews of Zion Christian Academy; second place winner, Jackson Jalomo of Lewis County High School; and third place winner, Will Shirel of Columbia Academy.

Photo Caption: Sociology (left to right): First place winner, Kaylie Webb of Lewis County High School; second place winner, Aaron Brewer of Lewis County High School; and third place winner, Darby Bastin of Lewis County High School.

Photo Caption: Essay (left to right): First place winner, Lydia Douglas of Columbia Academy; second place winner, Logan Walker of Columbia Academy; and third place winner, Kaylie Webb of Lewis County High School.

Photo Caption: World Geography (left to right): First place winner, Jalen Seapker of Columbia Academy; second place winner, Bailey Adams of Richland High School; and third place winner, Emily Russell of Richland High School.

Photo Caption: Trigonometry (left to right): First place winner, Hannah White of Columbia Academy; second place winner, Joshua Rogers of Columbia Academy; and third place winner, Brantley Forrest of Frank Hughes High School.

Photo Caption: Algebra II (left to right): First place winner, Kyle Tidwell of Spring Hill High School; second place winner, Phillip Young of Columbia Academy; and third place winner, Paige King of East Hickman High School.

Photo Caption: U.S. Constitution (left to right): First place winner, Ralph D. Stewart III of Lewis County High School; second place winner, Laramie Plott of Zion Christian Academy; and third place winner, Matthew Joslin of Spring Hill High School.

Photo Caption: American History (left to right): First place winner, Logan Walker of Columbia Academy; second place winner, Hunter Dunavant of Giles County High School; and third place winner, Jacob Hudson of East Hickman High School.

Photo Caption: Impromptu Fiction (left to right): First place winner, Breanna Binns of Santa Fe Unit School; second place winner, Miranda Hunter of Zion Christian Academy; and third place winner, Randall Meadows of East Hickman High School.

Photo Caption: Piano Performance: First place winner, Kaitlin Johnson of Homelife Academy; second place winner, Kolton Johnson of Homelife Academy; and third place winner, Hutton Smith of Columbia Academy.

Photo Caption: Mass Communications (left to right): First place winner, Rayven Modine of Spring Hill High School; second place winner, Zachery Kurtz of Columbia Academy; and third place winner, Josh Rogers of Columbia Academy.

Photo Caption: Oral Interpretation (left to right): First place winner, Keighley Roberts of Marshall County High School; second place winner, Miranda Hunter of Zion Christian Academy; and third place winner, James Grossheim of Spring Hill High School.


Photo Caption: Impromptu Poetry (left to right): First place winner, Jessica Mercer of Lewis County High School; second place winner, Mackenzie Butcher of Richland High School; and third place winner, Kris Wolf of Richland High School.

Photo Caption: Vocal Competition (left to right): First place winner, Colin Ortiz of Marshall County High School; second place winner, Melody Marse of Spring Hill High School; and third place winner, Iris Lasiter of Marshall County High School.

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