Megan Phares and Chase Adams will represent West Orange-Stark High School in the Orange County Miriam Lutcher Stark Contest in Reading and Declamation.

The two took first place honors and won $2000 scholarships each in the WO-S High School finals held recently.

Phares presented an interpretation of “Death by Scrabble” by Charlie Fish. Adams won with Jessie L. Jackson’s speech “Keep Hope Alive.”

Placing second and earning $1500 scholarships each were Zeba Nizami, Interpretative Reading; while Rebekah Ragsdale placed second in Declamation.

Nizami read Dave Berry’s “Size 2.” Ragsdale delivered “A Whisper of Aids” by Mary Fisher.

Other interpretive reading finalists were Clayton Gearhart, Robert Johnson, and Immanuel Simien. Additional finalists in declamation were Lauryn Windham, Shabana Navrozali, and Horace Broussard.

In the County Contest, Phares and Adams will compete against the winners from the other Orange County High School’s Reading and Declamation contests for additional scholarships. It will be held at the Lutcher Theater April 27 at 2 p.m.

The contest is sponsored by the Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation. The WO-S Finals were presented by the West Orange – Stark High School English Department.