Toombs County Students Named District Winners in Young Georgia Authors Contest
The Toombs County School District has announced its FY26 Young Georgia Authors (YGA) District Level Winners, recognizing outstanding student writing across all grade levels.
Students from Toombs Central Elementary School, Lyons Upper Elementary School, Toombs County Middle School, and Toombs County High School were selected as district winners for their exceptional original works. Entries will now advance to the First District RESA (FDRESA) for the next round of judging.
This year’s winners include:
Kindergarten: Daniel Toler, Daniel the Cat (Toombs Central Elementary)
1st Grade: Blakely Lamb, The Lost Hat (Toombs Central Elementary)
2nd Grade: Ellie Williams, Kelly’s Lost Puppy (Toombs Central Elementary)
3rd Grade: Mariel Luna-Munoz, Great White Sharks (Lyons Upper Elementary)
4th Grade: Jane Coleman, Where Were the Stars? (Toombs Central Elementary)
5th Grade: Ivy Wilkes, The Stolen Crown (Lyons Upper Elementary)
6th Grade: Allie Lawson, A Whisper of the Hotel (Toombs County Middle School)
7th Grade: John Peterson, What is War, A Villanelle (Toombs County Middle School)
8th Grade: Fatima Oliveros Barcenas, Winter (Toombs County Middle School)
9th Grade: Ryleigh Hester, The New Hero in Town (Toombs County High School)
10th Grade: Alona Wright, Freedom Painters (Toombs County High School)
11th Grade: Sophie Tillman, The Exclusive (Toombs County High School)
12th Grade: Brandon Badie, The Blessing that Asked Nothing (Toombs County High School)
The Young Georgia Authors contest encourages students to develop and celebrate their writing talents through poetry, short stories, essays, and other literary works.