Bay Middle School students win top awards at district Power of the Pen

Bay Middle School eighth-grader Jenny Heffron took first place for her grade level at the district-level Power of the Pen competition.
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Bay Middle School eighth-grader Jenny Heffron took first place for her grade level in the Power of the Pen district writing competition held at St. Raphael School in Bay Village on Saturday, Feb. 4. Eighth-grader Alana Bernys received a Best of Round award for her story "Strong for Each Other,” and she also won eighth place in her grade level.

Seventh-grader Phil Lally won second place for his grade level and Best of Round for his piece "Expect the Unexpected.” The seventh-grade team of Sarah Brumagin, Jessica Perri, Lauren Sheil, Phil Lally, Campbell Priemer and Laura Colagiovanni placed second in the entire competition.  

Eighth-grader Emma Chalk received an honorable mention, and Laura Colagiovanni placed twelfth overall in the seventh grade.  

Twelve local middle schools participated at the district-level interscholastic writing competition, hosted this year at St. Raphael School, with 137 students competing (71 seventh-graders and 66 eighth-graders). The schools were Bay Middle School, St. Raphael School, Avon Middle School, Columbia Middle (Columbia Station), Learwood Middle (Avon Lake), Menlo Park Academy (Cleveland), St. Jude School (Elyria), St. Mary's Catholic (Berea), Holy Trinity School (Avon), McCormick JHS (Huron), St. Joseph School (Avon Lake) and St. Mary School (Elyria).  

Bay Middle School's Power of the Pen advisor is seventh-grade social studies instructor, Helen Lanning. Many of the Bay Middle School students will move on to compete at the regional-level Power of the Pen at Perkins Briar Middle School in Sandusky on March 24. Power of the Pen State Finals take place at The College of Wooster May 24-25.