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 2025 Competition closes on February 28, 2025.

Click here for the 2025 Contest Rules

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

Meet Our JUDGES!

ANNOUNCING 2025 LYRICAL WINNERS!

ADULT DIVISION

Congratulations to the following Adult Division winners! In addition to these winners, several high-ranking poems were selected for publication from each contest.

LUCILLE MORGAN WILSON AWARD: JUDGE: Christine Stewart-Nunez, Winnipeg, MB Canada (568 entries); generously sponsored by Jerrold Narland, IPA Past President
1st - Dawn Terpstra; Lynnville
2nd - Aaron D Wiegert; Des Moines
3rd - Shelly Reed Thieman; West Des Moines
1st HM - Douglas L Miller; Solon
2nd HM - Dale G Haake; Davenport
3rd HM - Heather Ann G Clark; Des Moines

SPECIAL AWARD FIRST-TIME ENTRANT: sponsored by Julie Allyn Johnson.
Kelly Madigan; Castana

RODNEY REEVES MEMORIAL AWARD: sponsored by Iowa Poetry Association
Kathy Geren Christy; Burlington

GRANT WOOD COUNTRY POETRY AWARD: JUDGE: Iowa Poet Laureate Vince Gotera, Waterloo, IA (25 entries); sponsored by the Grant Wood Country Forum, an online art-history-culture-creative-writing community
1st - Lori Culbertson Harris; Cedar Falls
2nd - Jim Hackett; Cedar Rapids
3rd - Richard Ramsey; Des Moines
1st HM - Thomas Havran; Amana
2nd HM - Caitlin Timmins; West Des Moines
3rd HM - Barbara Edler; Keokuk

TRADITIONAL FORMS: JUDGE: John Sibley Williams, Milwaukie, OR (31 entries); sponsored by the generosity of the Southwest Iowa Poetry Group in memory of Marilyn Jacobsen and in honor of Christine Brink
1st - Lori Shannon; Manning
2nd - Erin Caldwell; Cedar Falls
3rd - Mike Wilson; Des Moines
1st HM - Kathleen Stauffer; Osage
2nd HM - Joshua Borgmann; Creston
3rd HM - Cecile Goding; Iowa City

HAIKU: JUDGE: Michael Dylan Welch, Sammamish, WA (122 entries); underwritten by Maggie Westvold, in memory of a dear friend and poet, Dorothy Fyfe
1st - Ashley WolfTornabane; Storm Lake
2nd - Mike Lindseth; Primghar
3rd - Roberta Beach Jacobson; Indianola
1st HM - Angela McGlothlen; Cedar Rapids
2nd HM - Talbot Hook; Newton
3rd HM - William Dall; Dubuque

POEMS FOR CHILDREN: JUDGE: Dorothia Rohner, Eyota, MN (40 entries); Sponsored by Dennis Moore
1st - Daniel Nieland; Windsor Heights
2nd - Jan Blankenburg; Donnellson
3rd - Yvonne Breiner; Muscatine
1st HM - Nancy Hanaman; Rippey
2nd HM - Linda Shivvers; Des Moines
3rd HM - Jo Ann Benda; Iowa City

NATIONAL/WORLD EVENTS: JUDGE: Robbin Farr, Doylestown PA (27 entries); prizes given in his memory by the family of Carl Stiefel
1st - Kathy Meyer; Winterset
2nd - Carol Tyx; Iowa City
3rd - Robert P Hansen; Brayton
1st HM - Joy Neal Kidney; West Des Moines
2nd HM - Linda E Paul; Iowa City
3rd HM - Janet Carl; Grinnell

HUMOROUS: JUDGE: Matt Mason, Omaha, NE (64 entries); sponsored by Kathy Geren Christy in honor of the poets who make us smile.
1st - Karen Schmitt; Solon
2nd - Milli Gilbaugh; Iowa City
3rd - Hilary Naab; Monticello
1st HM - Steven Thompson; Osage
2nd HM - Audrey Mueller; DeWitt
3rd HM - Alanna Clutter; Des Moines

SCHOOL DIVISION

Congratulations to the following young poets!

COLLEGE:
JUDGE: Katie Ford, South Pasadena, CA (84 entries)
1st - Malachi Myers, Marion,SD, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
2nd - Livia Stein Freitas, Curitiba, PR, Brazil, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
3rd - Clark Stiemsma, Sioux Center, IA, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
1st HM - Tim DeVries, Lake Geneva, WI, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
2nd HM - Claudia Ortiz-Valencia, Des Moines, IA, Grand View University, Des Moines, IA
3rd HM - Marika Moore, Alcester, SD, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA
Also to be published, poems by: Alex Bond, Lexington, KY, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA;
Elizabeth Brouwer, Pella, IA, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA;
Aubrey Kuiper, Orange City, IA, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA;
Meysi Pennings, Sioux Center, IA, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA;
Rebecca Peterson, Moorhead, MN, Dordt University, Sioux Center, IA;
Danielle Sunseri, Marion, IA, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA

HIGH SCHOOL:
JUDGE: Levi Lyle, Keota, IA (164 entries)
1st - Annchi Shaw, Grade 11, North HS, Des Moines, Nathan Fredericks,Teacher
2nd - Jordan McCool, Grade 10, Atlantic HS, Atlantic, Allison Berryhill, Teacher
3rd - Kale Dawson, Grade 11, Hamburg Charter School, Kim Dovel, Teacher
1st HM - Annabelle Shoemate, Grade 11, Chariton HS, Chariton, Joy Drake,, Teacher
2nd HM - Olivia Johnson, Grade 11, St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs, Ann Coombs, Teacher
3rd HM - Molly Wise, Grade 11, St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs, Ann Coombs, Teacher
Also to be published, poems by: Lea Campbell, Gr 9, Bedford HS, Bedford; Addison Chickering, Gr 11, St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs; Karson Cole, Gr 9, Bedford HS, Bedford; Jasmine Dietrich, Gr 10, Mason City HS, Mason City; Cristofer Enamorado, Gr 11, Chariton HS, Chariton; Grant Gould, Gr 9, Bedford HS, Bedford; River Haenfler, Gr 10, Grinnell HS, Grinnell; Rachel Julian, Gr 11, St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs; Abigail Lewis, Gr 9, St Albert Schools, Council Bluffs; Margaret McCurdy, Gr 11, Atlantic HS, Atlantic; Ava Nickell, Gr 11, Chariton HS, Chariton; Norah Olsen, Gr 9, Atlantic HS, Atlantic; Gracey Pelzer, Gr 12, Atlantic HS, Atlantic; Daniel Vandello, Gr 12, Oskaloosa HS, Oskaloosa

UPPER GRADES (5-8):
JUDGE: Robert Schinzel, Argyle, TX (288 entries)
1st - Cadence Schwab, Grade 6, Osage Community School, Osage, Megan Patterson, Teacher
2nd - Wren Haenfler, Grade 6, Grinnell MS, Grinnell, Matt Griffen, Teacher
3rd - Aila Plein, Grade 6, Aldo Leopold Intermediate, Burlington, Kahri Plein, Teacher
1st HM - Maggie Lindberg, Grade 6, Grinnell MS, Grinnell, Matt Griffen, Teacher
2nd HM - Megan Guertin, Grade 6, Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
3rd HM - Avery Zivney, Grade 5, Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
Also to be published, poems by: Aven Eddleman, Gr 7, Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate, Bondurant; Ekeameh (Debra) Gaye, Gr 7, Bondurant-Farrar Intermediate, Bondurant; Nara Harrell, Gr 6, Osage Community School, Osage; Marilyn Karanja, Gr 6, Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Tia Keller, Gr 6, Aldo Leopold Intermediate, Burlington; Owen Kirsch, Gr 7, Bedford MS, Bedford; Nora Laver, Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Kinsey McCalla, Gr 7, Bedford MS, Bedford; Johanna McCue, Gr 8, Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Seeger McCue, Gr 6, Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Elhaym Mueller, Gr 6, Aldo Leopold Intermediate, Burlington; Gabriel Schirm, Gr 6, Grinnell MS, Grinnell; Joel Stalcup Jr, Gr 6, Homeschool, Stockport; Kiara Vasquez, Gr 8, Eleanor Roosevelt MS, Dubuque.

LOWER GRADES (K-4):
JUDGE: Robert Schinzel, Argyle, TX (114 entries)
1st - Owen DeFont, Grade 3, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
2nd - Adrianna Hill, Grade 4, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
3rd - Rafe Morriss, Grade 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa, Angela Brown, Teacher
1st HM - Collin Wesley, Grade 3, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
2nd HM - Belle Kiel, Grade 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa, Heather Graham, Teacher
3rd HM - Rhett Davison, Grade 3, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant, Sarah Teeselink, Teacher
Also to be published, poems by: Blakely Beliel, Gr 4, Black Hawk Elementary, Burlington; Harper Boike, Gr 4, Baxter Elementary, Baxter; Brielle Carter, Gr 4, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant; Alexis Comiskey, Gr 4, Black Hawk Elementary, Burlington; Bradley Drury, Gr 2, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa; Ensleigh Flenker, Gr 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa; Fin Notz, Gr 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa; Pierce Robb, Gr 4, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant; Gracelynn Routson, Gr 4, Black Hawk Elementary, Burlington; Ellie Simpson, Gr 4, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant; Bryant Simmons, Gr 1, Cardinal Elementary, Maquoketa; Abigail Thurman, Gr 3, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant; Nora Vance, Gr 4, Grimes Elementary, Burlington; Brynn Wippermann, Gr 4, Anderson Elementary, Bondurant

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.

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