Topeka students win awards from national competition

Topeka students took home top honors this week from the annual National History Day competition at the University of Maryland near Washington, D.C.

Overall, Kansans claimed three gold medals and three special awards at the competition, which challenged students in sixth through 12th grades to write papers, create documentaries, perfect exhibits and shine in performances.

Among the Topeka winners, Alex Rankin took first place in historical papers for the junior division. Rankin, a student at Landon Middle School, wrote "Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Modern Martyr Taking a Stand Against the State Gone Mad." Also winning first were Topeka Collegiate students Sjobor Hammer and Anna Hamilton. The students won in the group documentary category for the junior division for their piece, "Lighting the Dark Places: Esther Brown and the Webb v. School District 90 Case."

Taking home a special award were Topeka Collegiate students Parker Featherston and Daniel Mandel. The duo received the Outstanding State Junior Entry Award for their group exhibit "Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th: Taking a Stand for Racial Equality." The students also received a $200 Butler County History Center and Kansas Oil Museum scholarship.

Other northeast Kansans recognized at the event were Lawrence High School's Timmia Hearn-Feldman, first place in senior individual performances, and Samuel Huneke, 2006 Jamestown Award Winner for senior individual documentary.

Across the state this year, 1,200 students competed for a chance to go to the national competition. About 50 were selected to attend the event with the students working on individual as well as group projects.

Other Topeka and northeast Kansas students to qualify for the national competition included:

• Washburn Rural Middle School: Elsa Goossen.

• Washburn Rural High School: Ben Goossen.

• Seaman High School: Michelle Kozubek, Heather Onnen and Carly Moon.

• Topeka Collegiate: Katherine Ebeling.

• Eisenhower Elementary School in Fort Leavenworth: Emily Belin, Brianna Jett and Elizabeth Dean.

• Central Junior High School in Lawrence: Zoey Hearn Feldman, Tess Frydman, Alyson Frydman, Liza Farr, Zoe Limesand, Sara Cortese, Hannah Lodwick and Rosemary O'Malley.

• Lawrence High School: Ryan King, Tim Hagen and Benjamin Kincaid.

• Woodrow Wilson Elementary in Manhattan: Brittney King and Celeste Sultana.