Schools
Video: Harding Middle School Students Win 'Power of the Pen' State Championship
A small team of seventh and eighth grade creative wordsmiths beat out 7,000 students overall to take first place.
7,000 students, 280 middle schools, 87 counties. One winner.
The precocious arrived at the College of Wooster over the weekend to compete against the top 10 percent of young writers in Ohio, and went home knowing the best team won.
With the best combined score from regionals and states, Team Harding won the first place Sweepstakes Trophy and coach Ruth Pangrace couldn't be prouder of the collective accomplishments of her creative writing squad.
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"When the announcement came that Harding was the first place school, with the best record in the state, the students and I were jubilant," said Pangrace.
"The entire team of 12 danced and leapt to the expansive stage of McGaw Chapel amid cheers and a standing ovation. It was a memorable moment and a marvelous lesson, that the team won because of the efforts and talents of the whole team, not a few superstars."