2026 Nebraska POL State Champion

Pictured from left to right: Chloe Jacobs, Sophie Hemphill, and MajieAhna Winfrey

Congratulations to our State Champion, MajieAhna Winfrey from Marian High School in Omaha. She will represent Nebraska at the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in Washington DC later this spring.

Runner ups for POL were Sophie Hemphill from Seward High School and Chloe Jacobs from South Platte High School. This year, we had a total of nine schools and students participate in POL. Other state finalists included:

• Alice Roka: Brownwell Talbot High School (Omaha)
• Mieke van der Walt: Burwell High School (Burwell)
• Donnie Schulte: Cedar Catholic High School (Hartington)
• Amara Funk: Gordon Rushville High School (Gordon)
• Yaitsaira Ramierz-Vazquez: South Sioux City High School (South Sioux City)

Maria Corpuz, from Omaha, served as the emcee for this year’s Poetry Out Loud Nebraska State Finals and was joined onstage by Nebraska State Poet Jewel Rodgers, who performed her latest original poem for America 250.

Thank you to all of the competitors, their teachers and families, and to all of the support team for a successful day.

You can check out the full list of poems performed by each contestant via our POL program here.