For an unprecedented 13th consecutive year, Magnolia High School has taken first place in the West Virginia State TSA conference, held earlier this month in Charleston, edging out neighbor Tyler Consolidated for the win.

In addition, MHS will send two students to national competition in June where they will try to prevail over high schools from all 50 states and many foreign countries.

“The kids did very well again this year,” said David Kimble, who coaches the school’s TSA team. “What is important to know is that TSA is not a scheduled class. These students participate on their own optional time.”

Senior Bethany Scott and sophomore Kyle Veyon will represent themselves, MHS and the entire county at the National TSA Conference June 28-July 2 in Orlando, Fla.

Scott, last year’s national champion, won top rating at this year’s state convention for her Career Comparisons and Extemporaneous Presentation categories. In addition, her team won third standing for best Chapter Team and first place in Medical Technology. Veyon’s team took first place in Electronic Research and Experimentation and second spot in the Film Technology competition.

It isn’t clear when Magnolia’s consecutive wins became record-breaking. However, the school has captured first place in more than one-third of TSA’s 30-year history. Interestingly, New Martinsville School was one of TSA’s founding schools in 1978.

Kimble takes his work in TSA as seriously as his students do. But, for the last two competitions, he has taken it more personally than usual. His son, J.C., is one of the TSA advisors at Tyler Consolidated. His daughter, Kim, is a senior at the neighboring school and president of the state TSA chapter.

“Our students also have benefited from the support and encouragement of Principal Tim Haught and Assistant Principal Kathi Schmalz,” Kimble noted. “That means a lot when there is so much competing for our time and energy.”

Winners in the state competition and their categories were:

Agriculture and Biotechnology Design, third place, Bree Williams and Kaylee Purpura;

Animatronics, third place, Kile Hale and Travis Blake;

Career Comparisons: first place, Bethany Scott;

Chapter Team (Written and Oral), third place, Devann Doty, Garrett Robinson, Ben Bridgeman, Bethany Scott, Rachel Hoffman, and Bree Williams;

Computer-Aided Design 2D, Architecture, second place, Daniel Seavy;

Computer-Aided Design 3D, Engineering, second place, Ethan Stock;

Computer-Aided Design Animation, Architecture, second place, Chris Fuller;

Construction Systems, third place, Chris Goddard and Heath Fox;

Creed Recital, first place, Katie Haught; second place, Jessica Goddard;

Cyberspace Pursuit, second place, Carlin Haught, Andrea Lockhart, Kim O’Neil, and Ethan Stock;

Electronic Research and Experimentation, first place, Kyle Veyon and Joe Feeney; second place, Joe Rux and Cody Hicks; and third place, Ben Bridgeman, Garrett Robinson, and Jake Blatt;

Engineering Design, first place, Ben Bridgeman, Garrett Robinson, Travis Blake, and Joe Feeney;

Extemporaneous Presentation, first place, Bethany Scott; second place, Morgan Morgan, Kyle Veyon, Gavan McSweeney, and John Heslep;

Flight Maintenance, first place, Matt Pefferman;

Imaging Technology, third place, Jorien Cousign;

Manufacturing Prototype, second place, Devann Doty and Ben Bridgeman; third place, Rachel Hoffman and Nicole Schoolcraft;

Medical Technology, first place, Bethany Scott and Daniel Seavy; third place, Devann Doty and Bree Williams;

Mousetrap Design, first place, Bryan Huggins;

Prepared Presentation, first place, Bree Williams and third place, Eric Haught;

Promotional Graphics, first place Jessica Goddard;

Radio Controlled Transportation, second place, Matt Pefferman, Ethan Stock, and Derek Staley;

SciViz, first place, Eric Haught;

Technical Sketching and Application, third place, Lindsay Dieffenbauch;

Technology Bowl (Written and Oral), first place, Morgan Morgan, Jake Blatt, and Matt Pefferman;

Technology Challenge, first place, Jared Blatt and Joe Feeney; and

Technology Problem Solving, second place. Daniel Seavy, Jared Blatt, and Eric Haught.