Writing team wins contest, among best in region

Hawken`s seventh and eighth grade Power of the Pen teams recently swept the competition at the writing contest`s regionals. Students competed against other top schools in the area including Hudson, Hathaway Brown, University School and Shaker Middle, scoring the most points and winning the Sweepstakes award. In addition to that award, Hawken earned other team and individual honors. The eighth grade team placed first in the region. Seventh graders Sonia Feldman and Aden Wexberg placed first and ninth, respectively. Eighth grader Laura Kokotailo won first and Hannah Kerman, also in eighth grade, followed her in second place and won a \"Best of Round\" award. Eighth graders Nick Richard, Maddi Gabor and Kokotailo will also be published in the Power of Pen publication and receive monetary awards as \"Best of the Best\" writers. Only five students in the region earned that distinction. Seventh grade team members include Feldman, Frankie Rico, Wexberg and Colleen Schikowski. Kerman, Kokotailo, Julie Zeilinger, Abi Moeller, Richard, Maddi Gabor make up the eighth grade team. Other members of the Middle School`s Power of the Pen club are Kyle Dipre, Adil Menon, William Starks and Jocelyn Adams. From here the team moves to the state finals in May at the College of Wooster. Hawken`s Middle School team is coached by sixth and seventh grade English teachers Laura Staufer and Yolanda Polk.