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 2022 Competition is open Jan. 1 - Feb.28, 2022.

Click here for the 2022 Contest Rules or for the printable pdf version

Ekphrastic Challenge for IPA Members Only. Photo-art here. See Contest Rules for details.

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

NEW! Meet Our JUDGES for 2022!

ANNOUNCING the 2022 LYRICAL IOWA WINNERS

ADULT DIVISION:

Congratulations to the 2022 Lyrical Iowa Adult Division Winners! Poems will be posted after release of the anthology, around October 1.

LUCILLE MORGAN WILSON AWARD:
JUDGE: Diane Glancy, Shawnee Mission, KS (673 entries)
SPONSORED BY: Jerrold Narland, sitting IPA President.
1st - Lo Whittington, Iowa City
2nd - Rose Hamilton-Gottlieb, Ames
3rd - Bill Graeser, Fairfield
1st HM - Rose Postma,Sioux Center
2nd HM - Deborah Lewis, Ames
3rd HM - Heather Ann Clark, Winterset

SPECIAL AWARD FIRST-TIME ENTRANT:
SPONSORED BY: Shelly Reed Thieman, in honor of all the poets gone before us, and in celebration of those with whom we still work.
Charlie R North, Ankeny

RONALD KAHL MEMORIAL AWARD:
SPONSORED BY: Iowa Poetry Association
Pat Underwood, Colfax

TRADITIONAL FORMS:
JUDGE: John Sibley Williams, Milwaukie, OR (41 entries)
SPONSORED BY: Southwest Iowa Poetry Group members Lori Shannon, Christine Brink, and LaDona Jergenson in memory of Grace Rasmussen
1st - Erik Trilk, Marion
2nd - Allison Bartholmey, Colfax
3rd - Allison Berryhill, Atlantic
1st HM - Talbot Hook, Newton
2nd HM - Emily Wiebke, Britt
3rd HM - Cody Bock, Des Moines

HAIKU:
JUDGE: Glenn Lyvers, Johnstown, PA (124 entries)
SPONSORED BY: Maggie Westvold, in memory of a dear friend and poet, Dorothy Fyfe.
1st - Milli Gilbaugh, Iowa City
2nd - Rita F Reed, Waukee
3rd - Jane E DeShaw, Dyersville
1st HM - Angela McGlothlen, Cedar Rapids
2nd HM - Jed Magee, Jefferson
3rd HM - Dennis Maulsby, Ames

MAXINE CARLSON MEMORIAL AWARD:
SPONSORED BY: Iowa Poetry Association
Janvier Abramowitz, Coralville

POEMS FOR CHILDREN:
JUDGE: Lisa Toth Salinas, Spring, TX (42 entries)
SPONSORED BY: an investment gift of William Godfrey.
1st - Michelle Turner Maquoketa
2nd - JoAnn Benda, Iowa City
3rd - Karen Schmitt, Solon
1st HM - Phyllis Frazier, Cedar Falls
2nd HM - Ginnie Padden, Des Moines
3rd HM - Carolyn Rohrbaugh, Sutherland

NATIONAL/WORLD EVENTS:
JUDGE: Christine Boldt, Temple, TX (26 entries)
SPONSORED BY: the family of Carl Stiefel in his memory.
1st - Dawn Terpstra, Lynnville
2nd - Joe Chambers, Davenport
3rd - Mike Bayles, Davenport
1st HM - Lori Culbertson Harris, Cedar Falls
2nd HM - Anna Nicholas,Cedar Falls
3rd HM - Erin Olson, Greenville

HUMOROUS VERSE:
JUDGE: Julie Cummings, Conifer, CO (27 entries)
SPONSORED BY: Kathy Geren Christy in honor of the poets who make us smile.
1st - Jan Blankenburg, Donnellson
2nd - Warren Reinecke, Grinnell
3rd - Marjorie Chew, Council Bluffs
1st HM - William Woodhouse, Des Moines
2nd HM - Sandra Green, Tipton
3rd HM - Lori Shannon, Manning

EKPHRASTIC CHALLENGE:
JUDGE: Kyle McCord, Windsor Heights, IA (20 entries)
SPONSORED BY: Iowa Poetry Association
1st - Laura Sohl-Cryer, Cedar Falls
2nd - Virginia Mortenson, Des Moines
3rd - Patricia Tiffany Morris, Bondurant
1st HM - Elaine Mattingly, Newton
2nd HM - Jayne R Vondrak, Kingsley
3rd HM - Pamela J Blomgren, Oskaloosa

STUDENT DIVISION:

Congratulations to the following young poets!

COLLEGE:
JUDGE: Michael Carrino, Plattsburg, NY (22 entries)
1st - Hannah Adams, Sheboygan, WI, Dordt University, Sioux City
2nd - Sierra Ann Earle, Cedar Rapids, IA, Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids
3rd - Kyra Takes, Iowa City, IA, University of Iowa, Iowa City
1st HM - Amber Wittrock, Humboldt, IA, Iowa State University, Ames
2nd HM - Sam Drake-Flam, Hancock, MI, Grinnell College, Grinnell

HIGH SCHOOL:
JUDGE: Elizabeth Ridge, Ottumwa, IA (287 entries)
1st - Ian Kilgus, Grade 12, Oskaloosa HS, Oskaloosa, Lauren Ernst, Teacher
2nd - Cassidy Daub, Grade 12, West Marshall HS, State Center, Allison Bartholmey, Teacher
3rd - Josie Handlos, Grade 9, Atlantic HS, Atlantic, Allison Berryhill, Teacher
1st HM - Samantha Horvath, Grade 11, Saint Albert Catholic Schools, Council Bluffs, Ann Coombs, Teacher
2nd HM - Lillie Carreon, Grade 11, Centennial HS, Ankeny, Teresa Lawler, Teacher
3rd HM - Jordan Praska, Grade 12, Valley HS, West Des Moines, Blythe Stanfel, Teacher

Also to be published, poems by: Emma Winford, Gr 9, Atlantic HS, Atlantic; Breanna Armer, Gr 10, Madilynn Publow, Gr 10, Emily Quick, Gr 12, Caleb Denhart, Gr 12, all students at Valley HS, West Des Moines; Joshua Desmond, Reagan Gall, Maddix Larrington, and Evelina Rudenko all Gr 11 students at Chariton HS, Chariton; Ishita Mukadam, Gr 10, Zoe Soares, Gr 10, and Carlotta Kriesel, Gr 12, all students at Maharishi School, Fairfield; Blue Pries, Gr 10, Centennial HS, Ankeny; Kate Kirwan, Gr 11, St Albert Catholic Schools, Council Bluffs.

UPPER GRADES (5-8):
JUDGE: Robert Schinzel, Argyle, TX (289 entries)
1st - Kiara Verhagen, Grade 6, Eleanor Roosevelt MS, Dubuque, Mrs. Williams & Mr. Burke, Teachers
2nd - Alyse Beyer, Grade 8, Gilbert MS, Gilbert, Lauren Stephens, Teacher
3rd - Avery Wonders, Grade 7, Baxter Community Schools, Baxter, Mrs. Kibby, Teacher
1st HM - Lucy A Eggleston, Grade 8, Lawton Bronson Jr/Sr HS, Lawton, Sara White, Teacher
2nd HM - Cassidy Willess, Grade 8, Sacred Heart School, Boone, Maribeth Niday, Teacher
3rd HM - Lydia Beyer Grade 6, East Buchanan CSD, Winthrop, Abbey Thurn, Teacher

Also to be published, poems by: Christiana Alkhoury, Gr 7, and Greta Gammage, Gr 8, both at Eleanor Roosevelt MS, Dubuque; Rylee Atkinson and Lauren Kirby, Gr 8, both at Edgewood-Colesburg Jr/Sr HS, Edgewood; Naya Nakama, Gr 5, Sawyer Elementary, Ames; Addison Chickering and Sophia Peterson, Gr 8, both at St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs; Penelope Fennell, Gr 7, Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Parker Bivins and Carolyn Buloze, Gr 5, both at Edwards Elementary, Ames; Alexandra Lasack, Gr 7, and Morgan Bear, Gr 8, both at West Marshall MS, State Center; Caelyn Wipperman, Gr 7, Bondurant-Farrar MS, Bondurant; Maggie VanDyk, Gr 8, Gilbert MS, Gilbert.

LOWER GRADES (K-4):
JUDGE: Robert Schinzel, Argyle, TX (124 entries)
1st - Delsy Vincente-Gomez, Grade 4, LuVerne Elementary, LuVerne, Mrs. Olson, Teacher
2nd - Lucy Munson, Grade 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa, Robyn Hughes, Teacher
3rd - Sandali Rammawadu, Grade 3, Sawyer Elementary, Ames, Mark Royer, Teacher
1st HM - Rose Schares, Grade 4, Sawyer Elementary, Ames, Mark Royer, Teacher
2nd HM - Avery Whaley, Grade 4, Baxter Elementary, Baxter, Allison Bartholmey & Ashley Jacobs, Teachers
3rd HM - Adrian R Washington, Grade 4, College Community SD, Cedar Rapids, Michelle Anderson, Teacher

Also to be published, poems by: Caroline Dahlem, Gr 3, Colven Jacobs, Gr 4, and Addyson Sobaski, Gr 4, all three at College Community SD, Cedar Rapids; Iola Ferguson, Gr 2, and Frida Ferguson, K, both Homeschooled, Grinnell; Cora Elsbernd, Gr 4, Lambert Elementary, Manchester; Lydia Tichy, Gr 2, and Claire Kucera, Gr 4, both at Baxter Elementary,Baxter; Elaine Fang, Gr 4, Edwards Elementary, Ames; Kinsley Lien, Gr 4, Sawyer Elementary; Kinnick McPeak and Lilly Valetti, Gr 4, both at LaVerne Elementary, LuVerne; Thomas Beach, Gr 4, Prairie Ridge Elementary, Cedar Rapids; Lili Gilbert, Gr 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa.

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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