The Lyrical Iowa Annual Poetry Competition

Lyrical Iowa is an annual anthology of 300 or more poems chosen from those submitted to the competitions listed below. Contests are open to all persons with an Iowa address; you do not need to be a member of the Association. No entry fee.

The Lyrical Iowa 2024 Competition will open on Jan 1, 2024.

Click here for the 2024 Contest Rules or for the printable pdf version

It is essential that you follow the Contest Rules when submitting poems for consideration.
Please note: EMAIL SUBMISSION for Adults and College Students Only

Meet Our JUDGES!

ANNOUNCING the 2023 LYRICAL IOWA WINNERS

Congratulations to the following poets!

Read the top three winning poems in each contest in the adult division and in the student division. Other poems were also selected for publication in the anthology which are not included in the following list. The anthology will include a total of 275 poems in the adult division, 3 slam poetry winners and 79 student poems.

ADULT DIVISION

LUCILLE MORGAN WILSON AWARD:
JUDGE: Morgan Grayce Willow, Minneapolis, MN (653 entries)
1st - Susan J Koch; Iowa City
2nd - Arsema Berhane; Grinnell
3rd - Heather Ann G Clark; Winterset
1st HM - Bill Graeser; Fairfield
2nd HM - Renee Corkery; Cedar Rapids
3rd HM - Jayne R Vondrak; Kingsley
Prizes sponsored by Jerrold Narland, past IPA President

GRANT WOOD COUNTRY POETRY AWARD:
JUDGE: Timothy Fay, Anamosa, IA (46 entries)
1st - Janet Carl; Grinnell
2nd - Patricia Regnerus-Sandbulte; Sioux Center
3rd - Jim Hackett; Cedar Rapids
1st HM - Kathy Meyer; Winterset
2nd HM - Samantha Burds; Epworth
3rd HM - Maggie Ripperger; Winterset
Sponsored by the Grant Wood Country Forum, an online art-history-culture-creative-writing community.

SPECIAL AWARD FIRST-TIME ENTRANT:
Prince Harrison; Johnston
Provided by Shelly Rood Thieman, in honor of all the poets gone before us, and in celebration of those with whom we still work.

TRADITIONAL FORMS:
JUDGE: John Sibley Williams, Milwaukie, OR (48 entries)
1st - Ashley WolfTornabane; Storm Lake
2nd - Lori Shannon; Manning
3rd - Kathy Geren Christy; Oskaloosa
1st HM - Laura Sohl-Cryer; Cedar Falls
2nd HM - Jill Zimmerman; DeWitt
3rd HM - Dawn Terpstra; Lynnville

HAIKU:
JUDGE: Glenn Lyvers, Johnstown, PA (150 entries)
1st - Jane Jenkins; Dubuque
2nd - Tracy Edens; Iowa City
3rd - Dennis Maulsby; Ames
1st HM - Shelly Reed Thieman; West Des Moines
2nd HM - Lynn Wielenga; Sioux Center
3rd HM - Pamela Blomgren; Oskaloosa
Underwritten by Maggie Westvold, in memory of a dear friend and poet, Dorothy Fyfe

FOR CHILDREN:
JUDGE: Dorothia Rohner, Eyota, MN (52 entries)
1st - Anna Nicholas, Cedar Falls
2nd - Margaret Flint Suter; Hampton
3rd - Milli Gilbaugh; Iowa City
1st HM - John Snethen; Williamsburg
2nd HM - Karen Schmitt; Solon
3rd HM - John Mitchell; West Des Moines
Supported by an investment gift of William Godfrey

NATIONAL/WORLD EVENTS:
JUDGE: Christine Boldt, Temple, TX (37 entries)
1st - Michelle Turner; Maquoketa
2nd - Mike Bayles; Davenport
3rd - Amanda River; Maquoketa
1st HM - Carol Tyx; Iowa City
2nd HM - Marvin W Morris; Bondurant
3rd HM - Ginnie Padden; Des Moines
Prizes given in his memory by the family of Carl Stiefel

HUMOROUS:
JUDGE: Julie Cummings, Conifer, CO (32 entries)
1st - Jan Blankenburg; Donnellson
2nd - Steven Thompson; Osage
3rd - Jan Logan; Van Horne
1st HM - Allison Bartholmey; Colfax
2nd HM - Marcia Haakenson; Lake View
3rd HM - Kathleen Unger Hart; Fort Madison
Prizes sponsored by Kathy Geren Christy in honor of the poets who make us smile

STUDENT DIVISION

COLLEGE:
JUDGE: Michael Carrino, Plattsburg, NY (77 entries)
1st - Elise Wennberg, Rochester, MN, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
2nd - Olivia Dahl, Hugo, MN, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
3rd - Lael Bervig, Park Rapids, MN, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
1st HM - Deborah N Vallejo, Kalona, IA, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA
2nd HM - Aleasha Hintz, Onalaska, WI, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
3rd HM - Jessalyn Elder, Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Also to be published, poems by:
Lee Beauchamp, Bellevue, IA, Univ of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls; Emma Bennett, Houston, TX, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Sam Drake-Flam, Hancock, MI, Grinnell College, Grinnell; Wenwen Fan, Sioux Center, IA, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Olivia Luhring, Iowa Falls, IA, Univ of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls; Will Morlock, Ames, IA, Iowa State Univ, Ames; Kayla Prell, Eden Prairie, MN, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Hallie Rusk, Sioux Rapids, IA, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Natasha Sampson, Orange City, IA, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Joya Schreurs, Sioux Center, IA, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Elise Stiemsma, Sioux Center, IA, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center; Lizzie Van Es, Iowa City, IA, Univ of Iowa, Iowa City; Mylia Wagenaar, Alton, IA, Dordt Univ, Sioux Center

HIGH SCHOOL:
JUDGE: Elizabeth Ridge, Ottumwa, IA (340 entries)
1st - Athena Wu, Grade 11, West HS, Iowa City, Kerri Barnhouse, Teacher
2nd - Josie Handlos, Grade 10, Atlantic HS, Atlantic, Allison Berryhill, Teacher
3rd - Sophie Boehmler, Grade 11, Homeschooled, Sumner, Rebecca Boehmler, Teacher
1st HM - Damion Shampang, Grade 10, Atlantic HS, Atlantic, Allison Berryhill, Teacher
2nd HM - Ava Cleveland, Grade 12, Dike-New Hartford HS, Dike, Emily Beukelman, Teacher
3rd HM - Mariah Ogunsola, Grade 11, Valley HS, West Des Moines, Blythe Stanfel, Teacher
Also to be published, poems by:
Genevieve McCalla, Gr 11, Atlantic HS, Atlantic; Briley Atwell, Gr 11, Chariton HS, Chariton; Elizabeth Colloton, Teagan Kavan, Emily Ponxs, Jack Power, and Dani Stacy, all in Gr 12, Dowling Catholic HS, West Des Moines; Maggie VanDyk, Gr 9, Gilbert HS, Gilbert; Xavier Eugene Hibbert, Gr 9, Perry HS, Perry; Plum Brugenhemke and Natalie Crisp, both Gr 11, St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs; Nate Buelow, Gr 10, Sayra Contreras, Gr 12, Preston Kinipsu, Gr 11, all at Valley HS, West Des Moines.

UPPER GRADES (5-8):
JUDGE: Robert Schinzel, Argyle, TX (332 entries)
1st - Penelope Fennell, Grade 8, Grinnell MS, Grinnell, Matt Griffen, Teacher
2nd - Piper Redman, Grade 7, Baxter Community Schools, Baxter, Mrs. Kibby, Teacher
3rd - Olivia Parrie, Grade 6, Baxter Community Schools, Baxter, Mrs. Kibby, Teacher
1st HM - Brooke Dean, Grade 5, Eason Elementary, Waukee, Sarah Lacey, Teacher
2nd HM - Claire Hemann, Grade 8, Edgewood-Colesburg Jr/Sr High, Edgewood, Lizzie Edens, Teacher
3rd HM - Aven Eddleman, Grade 5, Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
Also to be published, poems by:
Elizabeth Jones, Gr 7, Olivia Moritz, Gr 7, and Tyler Weber, Gr 7, at Bondurant-Farrar Jr HS, Bondurant; Paxten Hainline, Gr 5 at Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate, Bondurant; Bronwyn Squires, Gr 8, DC-G, Grimes; Avery Brown and Brady Brown, Gr 7, both at Edgewood-Colesburg Jr/Sr High, Edgewood; Rachel Cody and Thora Schimmel, Gr 7, both at Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Kinnick DeMaris and Madison Jones, Gr 6, both at Osage MS, Osage; Elise Willson, Gr 7, Saint Albert Schools, Council Bluffs; Natalie Mills, Gr 8, and Charlee Read, Gr 7, both at Washington MS, Washington

LOWER GRADES (K-4):
JUDGE: Robert Schinzel, Argyle, TX (158 entries)
1st - Lucy Munson, Grade 2, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa, Jenna Spain, Teacher
2nd - Tia Keller, Grade 4, North Hill Elementary, Burlington, Julie Russell and Beth Junker, Teachers
3rd - Avery Irish, Grade 4, Black Hawk Elementary, Burlington, Julie Russell and Teri Jo Lane, Teachers
1st HM - Peter Shroyer, Grade 4, Homeschool, Mt. Pleasant, Heidi Shroyer, Teacher
2nd HM -Aila Plein, Grade 4, Sunnyside, Burlington, Mr. Glasgow, Teacher
3rd HM - Maya Chandrea, K, Homeschool, Marion, Courtney Chandrea, Teacher
Also to be published, poems by:
Gavin Pittman, Gr 3, Baxter Elementary, Baxter; Wyatt Davison, Gr 1, Liliana Gilbert, Gr 2, and Anna Hess, Gr 1, all at Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa; Maeley Graves, Gr 4, and Elayna Weber, Gr 4, at Easton Valley Elementary, Miles; Karen Chen, Gr 3, and Atticus Franksain, Gr 3, at Edwards Elementary, Ames; Leah Hayes, Gr 4, and Claire Tieszen, Gr 4, at Grundy Center Elementary, Grundy Center; Vivienne Farrington, Gr 3, Homeschool, Urbandale; Chase Clemens, Gr 4, Sonia Geiss, Gr 3, and Charlie May, Gr 1, Lambert Elementary, West Delaware, Manchester.

ALL STUDENT AWARDS SPONSORED BY: the Albert Lyell & Jauvanta M. Walker Endowment Fund, by memorial gifts from family and friends of Virginia Blanck Moore and by a bequest of Marie Jacobsen.

Adult and Student Division winners are invited to post video or audio clips of themselves reading their poems on our "Lyrical Iowa Poetry" Facebook page.

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