Winners Announced in the Kern County Oral Language Festival

More than 256 students brought stories to life at Stonecreek Jr. High School Saturday for the 55th annual Kern County Oral Language Festival. The students, who rose through the ranks of their own school, district, and regional competitions, presented a three-to-five minute humorous or serious interpretation of a published literary work.

Categories of competition include Verse Choir, Humorous Interpretation Solo, Humorous Interpretation Duo, Serious Interpretation Solo, and Serious Interpretation Duo, with grades 4-6 and grades 7-8 competing separately. Trophies were awarded to first through third place finishers.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

4-6 Grades 

Serious Interpretation Solo 

1st — Ella Kiesel 
2nd — Reese Gonsalves 
3rd — Hayden Hinzo 

Humorous Interpretation Solo 

1st — Finley Sloyan 
2nd —Violet Bivens 
3rd — Jane Bock 

Serious Interpretation Duo 

1st — Slater Shahan, Talulah Shahan 
2nd — Gianna Mena, Madeline Hansen 
3rd — Charlotte Lawson, Leiyann Hernandez 

Humorous Interpretation Duo 

1st — Vivienne Sullivan, Makenzie Levinson 
2nd — Mason Puetz, Zachary Stoneburner 
3rd — Faith Givens, Grace Givens 

Verse Choir 

1st — Temry White, Addilyn Lomas, Nena Hauser 
2nd — Dashawn Ware, Nathaniel Ramos, Ayden Rodriguez, Melanie Zuniga, Makayla Garza, Isabel Holmes 
3rd — Theo Baklini, GurAaryan Riar, Corban Warolin, Neil Goyal, Theo Huynh 

7-8 Grades 

Serious Interpretation Solo 

1st — Ellie Huynh 
2nd — Haya Alnahhal 
3rd — Scarlett Gama 

Humorous Interpretation Solo 

1st — Manya Ghai 
2nd — Sukhraj Bajwa 
3rd — Julian Calleros 

Serious Interpretation Duo 

1st — Brayden Dana, Cecilia Tobias 
2nd — Genevieve Sullivan, Eloise Hall 
3rd — Aanya Chatterjee, Taylor Starbuck 

Humorous Interpretation Duo 

1st — McKenna Castillo, Isabella Rodriguez 
2nd — Catelynn Jones, Laylynn Jones 
3rd — Annabelle Jones, Hanna Latif 

Verse Choir 

1st —Jaylen Aviles, Matthew Chavez, Alondra Murrillo-Cruz, Gemma Giragosian, Olivia McConnel 
2nd — Sanay Mahajan, Sanvi Mahajan, Savyaa Vyas, Aayush Mathukia, Mason Park 
3rd — Noelle Pulte, Janelle Sortijas, Aranya Laribee