Last Updated on June 1, 2025 12:30 pm
BOONE — Watauga County Schools held its district Battle of the Books competitions on March 11 and 12 at the Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences on the campus of Appalachian State University.
“The Elementary and Middle School Battle of the Books programs are an amazing opportunity for students to experience the love of reading while becoming better readers, dedicate themselves to reading an incredible set booklist, and experience what it is like to work together as a team,” said Sunnee Freed, Mabel School Media Coordinator and Battle of the Books Coordinator. “Students spend hours of their time throughout many months reading, practicing questions, and working together to prepare for competition. This year in particular, they also stayed focused and dedicated through Hurricane Helene and several snow days. We are definitely Watauga Proud!”
On March 11, students and coaches from Blowing Rock, Cove Creek, Mabel, Green Valley, Hardin Park, Parkway and Valle Crucis schools participated in the Elementary Battle of the Books Competition.
Following the competition and a lunch break, everyone gathered for the awards ceremony, during which Freed announced the three top-scoring teams.
The Hardin Park Red team came in First Place. Cove Creek Red came in Second Place and Green Valley Gold came in Third Place. Hardin Park Red had a total of 205 points, Cove Creek Red had a total of 189 points and Green Valley Gold had a total of 150 points.
The Hardin Park Red team represented Watauga County at the regional competition on March 27 where they finished in Second Place.
Corrie Freeman and Barbara Myers coached the Hardin Park Red EBOB team. Fourth grade students on the team were Rachel Allen, Matilda Church, Barrett Ellis, Evelyn Proshuto- Herbert, Piper Finney, JJ Jackson, Ollie Pyles, Oliver Rheingans, Miles Sigmon, Madeleine Stigall and Addie Williams. The team's fifth-grade students were Max Bullers, Pippa Ellis, Catie Grace Hutelmyer, Clara Margerison, Wyatt Park, Everleigh Rasmussen and Kelton Troisi.
On March 12, students and coaches from Bethel, Blowing Rock, Cove Creek, Mabel, Green Valley, Hardin Park and Parkway participated in the Middle School Battle of the Books Competition.
Following the competition and a lunch break, everyone attended the awards ceremony where the top scoring teams were announced.
The Hardin Park Red team won First Place, Green Valley Gold came in Second Place, and Parkway Blue came in Third Place. Hardin Park Red had a total of 202 points, Green Valley Gold had 184 points and Parkway Blue was close behind with a total of 183 points.
The Hardin Park Red team represented Watauga County at the regional competition on April 3, where they finished in First Place. They competed in the state competition on May 1 in Statesville, where they finished in Fourth Place.
Candice Trexler and Amy Hiatt coached the Hardin Park Red BOB team. Members of the team were Malachi Carson, Mackenzie Hoffmann, Noah Kilby, Myra McAllister, Rohan Parry, Lucy Schurman, Ricky Saylors and Norah Torrie.
Hardin Park also had a Gold team and a Black team who competed at the Watauga County Schools MBOB competition. Students on these teams were Meredith Allen, Josh Amburose, Daniella Avram Carmi, Grace Chen, Olin Coley, Asa Freed, Ezra Freed, Maddy Marcum, Nora Margerison, Oscar McEvoy, Ashika Paudel, Ben Rheingans, Madhavi Singh, Aiden Smith, Audrey Waits and Ben Yon.
Bethel School
Bethel School did not have an EBOB team this year, but two students joined Mabel School’s team.
School Library Media Coordinator Melody Cook and Bethel/Mabel AIG Specialist Audrey Mikkola served as the coaches for the MBOB team.
Students on the team were Lauren Gardner, Jolene Gobble, Merritt Powell, Josie Roaden and Kaylee Ward.
Blowing Rock School
Blowing Rock School had an EBOB and MBOB team this year. School Library Media Coordinator Carol Critcher and third-grade teacher Carrie Ingram served as the EBOB coaches.
Students who were members of the EBOB team were Sarahfina Anderson, Cecelia Boccardy, Ferris Cleveland, Bryce Cranor, Mia Goheen, Baxter Ingram, Anna Morgan, William Morgan, Avril Parkin, Lillian Sharkey, Georgia Grace Smith, Zoe Tapio and Natalie Voglewede.
Critcher coached the MBOB team, which included David Ballenger-Petters, Scott Ballenger-Peters, Teo Boccardy, Brenden Brock, Courtney Clinard, Eva Dishman, Mae Garonzik, Liam Graham, Charlie Huggins, Jeremiah Johnson, Raygan McFalls, Lars Meier-Servon, Zadie Meier-Servon and Gus Rameriz.
Cove Creek School
Cove Creek School had an EBOB and MBOB team this year. School Library Media Coordinator Laurie Warren and Reading Specialist Carla Greene served as the EBOB coaches.
Damien Johnson, Jada Johnson, Harper Manely, Milana Pengiad, Olivia Reid, Claire Self, Henry Visser, and Sam Warren were students who were members of the EBOB team.
Middle School ELA teachers Kim Henderson and Skylar O’Neal served as the coaches for the MBOB team.
MBOB team members included Eva Carter, Tallulah Childers, Henry Combs, Carmen Holder, Calem Johnson, Kamden Ratcliff, Chloe Reid, Laila Triplett and Nathaniel Weikert.
Green Valley School
Instructional Technology Facilitator Libby Diehl and School Library Media Coordinator Mitzi London coached both the EBOB and MBOB teams.
Students who were members of the EBOB team were Amira Eddiba, Zoey Gray, Madeleine Greaves, Ellis Henson, Gannon Jones, Lincoln McCroskey, Cade Prince, Aria Quin, Johnny Rusch, Parker Shaw, Pemberly Sebastian, Harper Thompson and Phoebe Williams.
MBOB team members included Natalee Canter, Annabel Cantor, Savana Costner, Sierra Costner, Murphy Diehl, Jonah Henson, Riley Lenz, Ashley Ong, Ashlyn Prince, Catherine Rusch, Ellie Sebastian, Brooke Turlington and Nathaniel Walker.
Mabel School
Media Specialist Sunnee Freed and AIG Specialist Audrey Mikkola coached the elementary Battle of the Books team.
Members of the Mabel School EBOB team were Jaydah Elias (Bethel student), Harley Hollar, Hattie Mae (Bethel student), MaeBelle Platt, Jonathan Spaulding, Cayleigh Sweeney and Grace Ward.
Freed coached the middle school Battle of the Books team. Members of the MBOB team were Andrew Deal, Aurora Heissel, Eva Hollars, Zack Reece, Michelle Spaulding and Riley Sweeney.
Parkway School
Media Specialist Owen Gray and Reading Specialist Annemarie Figueroa coached the elementary Battle of the Books team.
Gray and sixth-grade teacher Meresa Youngblood served as the coaches for the middle school Battle of the Books team.
Students who were members of the EBOB team were Rachael Broman-Fulks, Eliott Coker, Scout Dailey, Theo Divenere- Reeves, Sophie Fidler, Ava Fink, Theo Gray, Emerson Hancock, Henry Hicks, Loretta Jones, Samantha Sturges, Brett Summey, Kai Woodworth and Ren Woodworth.
The MBOB team included Lillyanna Ashley, Esther Blow, Morgan Brown, Jerry Feng, Isabella Hampton- Deiters, Ava Kluttz, Soleil Larsen, Valentina Miranda-Castro, Zoe Miranda-Castro, Grace Shore, Maddie Stumb, Marisa Willis and Maddie Woodworth.
Valle Crucis School
Valle Crucis School only had an Elementary Battle of the Books team this year.
The team was coached by Media Specialist Laurie Blalock and Instructional Technology Facilitator Elisa Lovejoy.
Students who were members of the EBOB team were Lila Carter, Emilee Cashwell, Brier Cornell, Caroline Leonard, William Leonard, Fawn Riley, Ella Shockey and Sophronia Stelling.
Watauga High School and Innovation Academy
This was the first year time in several years that WHS/WIA had a Battle of the Books team, which was exciting! The team placed second at the regional competition.
Kane Hall, a Career and Technical Education teacher at WHS/WIA coached the team. Members included Rebecca Billette, Ariail Lewis, Sydney Moretz and Riley Olson.
