Six Owls Place in Wordsmith

Six Owls earned awards, including two first-place finishes, at the 2026 University of Memphis Wordsmith competition.

The 40-Word Dash challenges students to describe an object without naming it. The 80-Word Dash requires students to craft a narrative based on one of several unusual images, while the 120-Word Dash asks students to write a letter to the editor taking a position on an issue drawn from recent news headlines.

Roland Starrett ’27 placed first in the 40-Word Dash and Courtland Morris ’28 finished third. Brady Ehrhart ’26, Walker Atkinson ’27, and Rishabh Bag ’30 received honorable mention in this category.

Ehrhart also earned an honorable mention in the 80-Word Dash. Bag took first place in the 120-Word Dash, Camden Mason ’31 finished third, and Morris received an honorable mention in the event.

All six award winners advanced to the Main Event, a 400-word essay that will be evaluated at a later date by University of Memphis professors.

The full list of competitors is below:

7th: Camden Mason

8th: Rishabh Bag, Peter Garrett

9th: Noah Hinote, Graydon Hobson

10th: Courtland Morris, Gus Williams

11th: Walker Atkinson, Roland Starrett

12th: Brady Ehrhart, Miles McCarroll

Thank you to faculty advisors and English instructors Dr. Eric Dalle ’93 and Mrs. Ginny McCarley for their guidance.

Back