Broncos become poets for contest

By Elizabeth Marie Himcha

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Teenaged poets put their skills to the test in multiple languages during the second annual poetry contest sponsored by Rancho Bernardo High School Friends of the Library.

The April 22 competition featured poems written by more than 100 students, said Richard Mason, RBHS FOL poetry committee chairman. Two of the 12 judges included Rancho Bernardo author Glenn Kennedy Graves and published San Diego poet Chris Vannoy.

The top finalists in each language were invited to read their poems during the event.

The winners were:

• English poems — Katrina Ingham (first place), Samuel Chang (second place), Melissa Potter (third place) plus Robert Marks and Matthew Davis (both honorable mention).

• French poems — Eugene Emory (first place), Marilyn Doe (second place), Emilee Balvaneda (third place) plus Gwen Lamar and Maurice Flores (both honorable mention).

• German poems — Dorian Parker (first place), McKenna Noe (second place), Jake Pleines and Nick Wenger (tie for third place) plus Dana O’Masters, Tamae Sigiera and Andy Smith (all honorable mention).

• Spanish poems — only one finalist, who was Jennifer Teague (first place).

Mason said each student received a certificate of recognition and the top three finalists received Amazon gift cards — $50 for first place, $35 for second place and $25 for third place.