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Mid-Ohio Valley students among Golden Horseshoe winners

West Virginia Department of Education to hold ceremony on June 13

PARKERSBURG — Students from the region will be feted at the annual Golden Horseshoe awards ceremony on June 13 at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.

The Department of Education will recognize 226 eighth grade students from middle schools across the state as Knights of the Golden Horseshoe.

The department will hold three separate ceremonies.

The first ceremony begins at 9 a.m. and recognizes recipients from Calhoun, Jackson, Roane and Wirt counties.

At 11 a.m., students from Gilmer, Pleasants, Ritchie, Tyler, Wetzel and Wood counties will be honored.

The third ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. and will recognize recipients from Doddridge County,

The Golden Horseshoe goes back 1716 when Alexander Spotswood, governor of the Virginia Colony, organized and recognized a delegation of men who explored the land west of the Allegheny Mountains, most of which is now West Virginia. He presented each of them a small golden horseshoe to commemorate their bravery for crossing the mountain.

In West Virginia, recognitions date back to 1931.

Local students to receive the honor are:

* Calhoun County: Cooper Morris, Calhoun Middle/High School; Orion Swearingen, Calhoun Middle/High School.

* Doddridge County: William Bates, Doddridge County Middle School; Nathan Jordan, Doddridge County Middle School; Ella Powers, Doddridge County Middle School.

* Gilmer County: Michael Holmes, Gilmer County High School; Caeleb Pounds, Gilmer County High School.

* Jackson County: Cora Jean Heilmann, Ravenswood Middle School; Mitchell Marra, Ravenswood Middle School; Noah Freshour, Ripley Middle School.

* Pleasants County: Brynnley Bulluck, Pleasants County Middle School; Annaliese Lauderman, Pleasants County Middle School.

* Ritchie County: Linhang Chen, Ritchie County Middle School; Seth Cronin, Ritchie County Middle School; Carson Hall, Ritchie County Middle School.

* Roane County: Dakota Moore, Spencer Middle School; Brian Condron, Walton Elementary/Middle School; Anna Hays, Walton Elementary/Middle School.

* Tyler County: Caleb Gist, Tyler Consolidated Middle School; Ralynn Heintzman, Tyler Consolidated Middle School; John Mace II, Tyler Consolidated Middle School.

* Wetzel County: Logan Morris, New Martinsville School; Gavin Wade, New Martinsville School; Evan Utt, Short Line School.

* Wirt County: Sophie Awan, Wirt County Middle School; Lynsie Perdue, Wirt County Middle School.

* Wood County: Alton Auville, Blennerhassett Middle School; Logan Ocurran, Blennerhassett Middle School; Olivia Wade, Blennerhassett Middle School; Isaac Blair, Edison Middle School; Chloe Lesher, Edison Middle School; Mariah Garrett, Jackson Middle School; Sean Kendall, Williamstown High School.

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