A total of 233 entries were received for this year's contest. According to contest chairman, Glenda Caszatt, "The Curwood SAGA Committee read many outstanding entries this year and the five judges were impressed with both the quantity and quality of the writing. Area students put time, effort, and talent into their work which produced creative, well-written stories. It is a pleasure and a privilege to acknowledge young people who are so willing and so able to share their gift for the written word."

Sabrina Rangi -- Grand Prize Winner

Alex Nicolli --1st place winner, elementary division

Joy Rhine -- 1st place winner, junior division

Dmetri Hayes --1st place winner, senior division

Kaleb Toney --2nd Place winner, elementary division

Hope Hooper - 2nd place winner, junior division

Marc Reed - 2nd place winner, senior division

Rashelle Ocenasek, Owosso Central Elementary School

Erin Riley, Owosso St. Paul's School

Zoe Johnson, Perry High School

Evan Ritter, Owosso High School

Allison George, Owosso High School

Olivia Pritchett, Owosso Middle School

Desiree Mayhew, Ovid-Elsie Middle School

Mariel Martin, Ovid-Elsie Leonard Elementary School

Mary Basso, Corunna Elsa Meyer Elementary School

Megan Bush, Owosso Middle School

SABRINA RANGI -- grand prize winner; 15 year old sophomore at Owosso High School; daughter of Dr. Paul and Ravinder Rangi; inspiration for writing:  "My inspiration just stems from my life experiences.  I just have so many things to say and tell the world.  Writing is kind of my way of showing who the real Sabrina is."; favorite activities include dancing, playing piano and saxophone, soccer, scrapbooking, volunteering, playing with her puppies, spending time with her family, smiling, and laughing a lot; when asked "Why do you like to write?", she answered, "I don't like to write.   I love to write."; wrote "The Message"

 

ALEX NICOLLI -- first place winner in the elementary division; 11 year old 5th grader at Corunna's Elsa Meyer Elementary School; son of Karen and Randal Nicolli; favorite activities include football and writing; plans for a career are to be "a writer (like my mom)"; wrote "Truth""The Message"

 

JOY RHINE -- first place winner in the junior division; 13 year old 8th grader home schooled by her mother; daughter of Dean and Ronda Rhine of Owosso; favorite activities include guitar, piano, soccer, art, photography, and being with friends; is a member of the Shiawassee Scholars program; her grandmother was a writer; wrote "Dawn Is Breaking"

 

DMETRI HAYES -- first place winner in the senior division; 15 year old sophomore at Owosso High School; son of Sarah Warren-Riley and Andrew Riley of Corunna; wrote "Mind over Matter"

 

KALEB TONEY -- second place winner in the elementary division; 10 year old 5th grader at Central Elementary School in Owosso; son of Trent and Andrea Toney; favorite activities include baseball and basketball and reading; attended People to People World Leadership in Washington DC in April; inspiration for writing is "My parents"; wrote "The Last Hit"

 

HOPE HOOPER -- second place winner in the junior divison; 12 year old 6th grader home schooled by her mother; daughter of Bob and Rose Hooper of Owosso; wrote "Crazy Lady Mott"

 

MARC REED -- second place winner in the senior division; 15 year old freshman at Owosso High School; son of Stephen and Elaine Reed; favorite activities include playing soccer, working with cows on his family's dairy farm, and going to school; wrote "The Humanized Raccoon"