Yerington High School student wins Nevada Poetry Out Loud Finals

Yerington High School’s Gabrielle Hunt has represented Lyon County at the Nevada Poetry Out Loud State Finals for three consecutive years. Now she’ll represent the state of Nevada at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington, D.C.

Poetry Out Loud is a program of the Nevada Arts Council, presented in partnership with National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. NEA Chairman Jane Chu attended Saturday’s program in Reno.

Hunt, a junior at YHS and the daughter of Todd and Kaylene Hunt, prevailed from a field of 12 regional finalists at 12th annual Nevada State Finals, held Saturday at KNPB Channel 5 Studios in Reno.

Cache Black, a junior at Elko High School, finished in second place and Lea Gifford, a junior at Douglas County High School, finished third.

All 12 poets recited two poems in preliminary rounds with the top three advancing to read a third poem in the final round. Hunt’s selections included “The Nail,” by C.K. Williams; “The Mortician in San Francisco,” by Randall Mann and “The Children’s Hour” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

As the Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Hunt earns $1,000, wins another $1,000 for her school to support literary programs, and travels with a chaperone to Washington, D.C. to compete for $50,000 in scholarships and school prizes at the National Poetry Out Loud Finals, held April 25-26.

For placing second and third, Black and Gifford each receive a $500 award and $500 for their schools to support literary programs.

The other district finalists in Saturday’s competition included:

Carson City: Emily Matuska, sophomore, Carson High School

For information, go to nac.nevadaculture.org.