It’s a ‘three-peat’! Khadija Ceesay, freshman, won the Region 7 championship of the Kansas’ Poetry Out Loud contest, becoming the third regional champion in a row from Olathe South.

Ceesay competed Saturday, Jan. 21, at Shawnee Mission West against four other students from Blue Valley, Olathe North, Shawnee Mission West and Perry-Lecompton high schools.

As the Region 7 champion, Ceesay will compete for the state title at the Kansas Poetry Out Loud contest to be held March 5 at 7 p.m. at the Sunflower Financial Theater in the Salina Community Theater in Salina, Kan.

For the regional, each contestant had to recite two poems that she had memorized. At least one of the poems had to be written prior to the 20^th century. Ceesay presented interpretations of “God’s Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins and “Dear Reader” by Rita Mae Reese.

Ceesay, who was coached by Cathy Smith, English and forensics teacher, will need to add a third poem to her repertoire for the state contest.

To represent the school at the Kansas Region 7 contest, Ceesay won the school’s Poetry Out Loud competition. She noticed the poster at a Writing Club meeting and decided that she’d like to give the contest a try. Writing Club is sponsored by Cindy Roth.

The winner of the state contest will win $200 and an all-expenses paid trip with a chaperone to the Poetry Out Loud Nationals in Washington, D. C., May 2-4. The national winner receives a $20,000 scholarship.