Students from five Howell County schools competed at the Missouri Beta Convention, held Feb. 28 and 29 at the Branson Convention Center, with several qualifying to compete at the national level.
Nationals will be held June 9 through 13 in Savannah, Ga. This year’s theme is “Beta: A Voyage of Adventure.” Two local students, Adalyn Siler of Willow Springs Middle School and Addison Rowland of OCA, earned Golden Tickets, and as a result have been invited to dance in the opening ceremony for the event.
West Plains High School Zizzers placing in the top five and earning a trip to the national convention are Brett Harris, third place in Agriscience; Abigail Freidt, fourth, 9th grade Biomedical Science; Kynna McCullough, first, 9th grade Science; Abby Jacobs, third, ninth grade Social Studies; Chandler Barry, fifth, Black and White Photography Division 1; Maren Thompson, first, Pottery Division 1; and Mylin Lopez, third, ninth grade Math.
Middle-school Zizzers placing in the top tier are Ava Campbell, first place, Drawing and Abrielle Vandenbulcke, first place, Premier Performer Junior Dance, plus the Junior Performing Arts Dance Team earned a fourth place ranking.
Willow Springs sent 12 students from the high school Beta Club and four from the middle school Junior Beta Club. Top-ranking students invited to nationals are, from the high school, Cooper Poor, second place in ninth grade Agriscience, and Seth Wake, third in Speech Division 2, and from the middle school, Siler, first in Premier Performer Junior Dance, and Avery Foster, second in Digitally Enhanced Photography.
OCA also sent students from Beta and Junior Beta clubs. Top-placing Titans at the high school level are Ellie Aichele, second place, 10th grade Language Arts; Noah Marshall, second place, Poetry Division 1, and third place, Speech Division 1; Abby Mourreale, second place, Painting Division 1; Aaralyn Viscusi, fourth place, Mixed Media Division 1; Joanna Littlejohn, second place, Black and White Photography Division 1; and Averie Martin, first place in Quilling Division 1.
At the middle school level, Titans invited to nationals are Hannah Washburn, fifth place in Recyclable Art; Jessie McReynolds, third place in Jewelry; Caleb Washburn, first place in 8th grade Science; Rowland, first place in Premier Performer Junior Dance; Alayna and Lylah Marshall, third place in Accessorized Design; the Marketing and Communications Team, fifth place; Quiz Bowl Team, second place; and Robotics Team, first place.
Junction Hill School Junior Beta Hornets taking top marks were the Elementary Book Battle Team, first place; Teagyn Guy, third place, Elementary Digital Art; Kaebryn Gunter, second place, Junior Drawing; Elementary Engineering Team, fourth place; Junior Engineering Team, fourth place; Jemma Rennick, first place, Elementary Fiber Arts; Jaxon Somoza, first place, fourth grade math; Wyatt Bird, fifth place, sixth grade math; Nicole Brotherton, third place, Junior Pottery; Junior Robotics Team, fourth place; Elementary Scrapbook Team, fifth place; Isaac Recktenwald, fourth place, Elementary Sculpture; and Connor Henderson, third place, Elementary Woodworking.
Fairview School also sent some of its Junior Beta Flyers to compete, with top placements going to Munroe Martin, third place, Junior Color Photography; Ashley Weng, first place, Junior Hand Drawn Anime; Sophia McDaniel, second place, sixth grade Language Arts; Junior Living Literature Team, first place; and Junior Robotics Team, second place.
Bobcats competing for the Thayer Beta Club placing in the top five, qualifying them for nationals are Savannah Jackson, third place, 10th grade Math; Jake McFann, third place, 11th grade Math; Abigail Blum, second place, ninth grade Math; Skylar McDaniel, fourth place, Onsite Drawing Division 2 and third place Sculpture Division 2; and Salena Hollis, third place, Onsite Painting Division 2 and fourth place, Painting Division 2; Allyson Kerley, fourth place, Pottery Division 1.
Thayer Junior Beta Bobcats taking top marks include the Book Battle Team, first place; Quiz Bowl Team, first place; Zaiden Wright, third place, 8th grade Language Arts; and Jasmin Gutierrez, third place, 8th grade Spanish.
Winona High School Beta Club members taking top placements include the Club Trading Pin Team, fifth place; Evan Fears, third place, Digital Art Division 2; Isaac Ipock, fourth place, Fiber Arts Division 1; Lakelynn Bartlett, fourth place, 10th grade French; Cierra Wallace, fourth place, 11th grade Frenche; Jillian Plunk, fifth place, 9th grade Language Arts; Living Literature Team, third place; and Marketing and Communications Team, third place.
Middle School Wildcats ranked at the top are the Junior Book Battle Team, second place; Rylan Hurlebusch, fifth place, Junior Digitally Enhanced Photography; Trevor Kyle, second place, Junior Jewelry; Traye Williams, third place, Junior Mixed Media; and Josh Clunk, second place, Junior Woodworking.
Top-scoring Eminence High School Redwings are Owen Maley, fifth place, 10th grade Agriscience; Kylie Mahan, second place, 12th grade Agriscience and first place, Mixed Media Division 2; Hunter Collins, fifth place, Fiber Arts Division 2; Gretchen Hamilton, first place, 11th grade French; Mya Voyles, third place, Jewelry Division 1; Garrett Liggett, second place, Jewelry Division 2; Quinci Stringer, fifth place, Sculpture Division 1; and Eddie Rich, fourth place, 11th grade Spanish.
Eminence R-1 Junior Beta Club members competing and earning top marks are the Elementary Club Trading Pin Team, first place; Junior Club Trading Pin, first place; Aerana Martin, fifth place, Junior Drawing; Junior Engineering Team, fifth place; Hunter Ipock, first place, Junior Fiber Arts; Bethany Mahan, third place, Elementary Jewelry; Hadley Younger, fifth place Junior Jewelry; Peyton Chilton, third place, Elementary Onsite Art Drawing; Elementary Instrumental Performing Arts Team, third place; Braxton Dailey, first place, Elementary Sculpture; Elementary Service Learning Showcase Team, third place; and Junior Service Learning Showcase Team, first place.
Eminence Christian School sent some of its Junior Beta Club members, with several Warriors taking top marks: Sofia Wasilewski, first place, Elementary Best of Show and first place, Elementary Recyclable Art Elementary; Liam Wood, fifth place, Black and White Photography; Rein Liggett, third place, Drawing; Elementary Engineering Team, second place; Junior Engineering Team, second place; Elementary 3D Design Team, third place; Junior 3D Design Team, first place; and Gabe Bridgeforth, first place, Woodworking.
Top-scoring Summersville High School Beta Club members are Riley Buttress, first place, Digitally Enhanced Photography; Kaylah Pitts, fifth place, Mixed Media Division 1; Bella Woolsey, second place Division 2; and Whitney Michel, third place, Woodworking Division 1. Summersville Junior Beta Wildcats winning top marks are Kory Patton, second place, Color Photography; Maddox Cooper, second place, Elementary Drawing; Freeman Ashlock, third place, fourth grade Language Arts; Marketing & Communications Team, second place; Karen Kirkman, first place, Junior Mixed Media; Anabelle Howell, second place Elementary Onsite Art Drawing; Larsyn Brumble, first place, Elementary Painting; Elementary Vocal Performing Arts Team, fifth place; Saydi Michel, third place, Junior Quilling; and Elementary Robotics Team, fifth place.
Houston High School Tigers placing in the top five are Miah Bressie, first place, Best of Show Division 2; Digital Portfolio Team, first place; Lilly Kincaid, fifth place, Drawing Division 1; Miah Bressie, first place in Drawing Division 2, fourth place in Onsite Painting Division 2 and fourth place in 12th grade Science; Micah Manion, fourth place, Hand Drawn Anime Division 2; Addison Cook, fourth place, Jewelry Division 2; Margarita Zveniatckovskaia, third place, Mixed Media Division 1; Kristen Ely, first place, Onsite Drawing Division 2; Jaelyn Scholz, third place, Onsite Painting Division 1; Performing Arts Dance Team, second place; Kendal Johnson, first place, Premier Performer Senior Dance; and Katy Evans, third place, 10th grade Science.
