TIFTON — Tiftarea Academy and Tift County High both recently excelled at their region literary competitions.

Tiftarea had five first places at is meet and four second places. First and second each advance to the state competition on March 18.

Thomas Holt won for Impromptu Speaking; Isla Curry and Lexie Moore for Duo Interpretation; Curry, Moore and Rachel Hancock for Trio; Olivia Monfort for Spelling and Ansley Hutto was first in Dramatic Interpretation.

Second place went to Ridley Monk in Extemporaneous Speaking; Curry for Girls Solo; Jack Brand for Boys Solo; and Will Shelnutt for Argumentative Essay.

Tift County High announced a third place region finish, with students advancing to state in four categories.

First place went to Hatcher Swanson in Argumentative Essay; Owen Hale in Humorous Interpretation; Kennedy Martin for Domestic Extemporaneous Speech; and Aaron Watson, Josiah Zorn, Anton Gregus and Russ Fenn in Quartet. Gavin Carlson and Jackson Shirts are Quartet alternates.

Tift had second places courtesy of Kate Schwalls in Dramatic Interpretation.

In addition Tiftarea announced a third place for Keith Dorman in Piano and for Frances Allene Nelson in Humorous Interpretation.

Third went to Tift with Theo Cash in Personal Essay; Schwalls in Rhetorical Essay; Patty Gail Passmore, Emily Rowe and Megan Dunston in Girls Trio (Caroline Womack is the alternate) and Josiah Zorn in Boys Solo. Earning fourth were Swanson in International Extemporaneous Speech; Hale and Emily Rowe in Duo Interpretation; and Passmore in Girls Solo.