Three Canyon High School students advanced past the regional academic meet and will compete at the State Academic Meet in Austin May 21.

Advancing competitors are junior Trevor Ferril in headline writing and sophomore Kori Adair in feature writing, while senior Jonas LaLonde is the alternate in poetry interpretation. To advance, a student must place in the top three at the regional meet, and the fourth place is named alternate. Only 12 students per classification remain in each of their events at the state level.

LaLonde said he is pumped to go to Austin in his event and has always been a fan of poetry.

“I’m excited,” LaLonde said. “I have been able to familiarize myself with a piece that I have created. I got to create a piece out of a bunch of different works from my favorite authors.”

Adair’s competition changes at the state level, as she must write her story from her own notes taken at an hour-long press conference, rather than from a prompt that includes prepared information and quotes.

“I’m pretty nervous about it, just because it’s completely different from what I’ve been doing,” Adair said. “But I figure I’ll get time to prepare for it before I get there. As it is my first year, I did not expect to get this far. I’m glad that my hard work paid off.”

After two previous years in headline writing, the first time making regionals, the second, as an alternate to state, Ferril said, as it rings true, third time’s a charm.

“It always hurts worse when you’re so close, but not in” Ferril said. “At regionals this year, I was in two other events. I did not crack top six in either. But I did in headlines, and after going through all that, after not making it in two other events, it was a huge relief to be able to go for something.”