The NCAA selected eight middle school students from the Detroit and St. Louis areas as winners of an essay and poster contest staged in conjunction with the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours.

The contest was part of the NCAA Middle School Madness program, in which sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders in both cities were invited to submit a poster or essay on a specified theme. The Detroit contest centered on sportsmanship, while St. Louis students addressed the question “What is the power of a dream?”

The competition attracted 510 entries – 235 essays and 275 posters – from 10 schools in the Detroit area, and 283 entries – 174 essays and 109 posters – representing 25 public schools in St. Louis.

In Detroit, two students – Malik Taylor, a sixth-grader at Michigan Technical Academy, and K’yra Orton, an eighth-grader at Bates Academy – won the essay portion of the contest, while J’Nel Stephens-Dantzler, an eighth-grader at Burton International, and Mylen J. Williams, an eighth-grader at Michigan Technical Academy, won the poster contest.

“Good sportsmanship is the most important part of the game, whether it is on the court or in the classroom,” wrote Taylor. “Being a good sport involves being a good winner as well as being a good loser.”

In her winning essay, Orton emphasized that sportsmanship is a vital part of everyday life.

“Sportsmanship can relate not only to sports but to everyday life; moreover, it relates to being a fair loser as well as a courteous winner,” Orton wrote. “As a person who participates in many sports, I know that there are many things that I can do to use good sportsmanship in everyday life. To begin with, I can encourage others by using positive words such as ‘excellent’ or ‘good job.’ ”

In addition to earning tickets to the national semifinal and championship games, winners won admission to the Final Four Salute Presentation featuring the competing teams. They also were honored at Hoop City, a fan festival held in conjunction with the Final Four. The prize package also included a basketball goal and two basketballs. The 10 participating schools received a $500 cash donation and equipment to support the physical education program as well.

In St. Louis, eighth-grader Corbin Mason of Gateway Middle School and seventh-grader MiChon Watson of Carr Lane VPA Middle School won the poster contest. The winners of the essay contest were Kenneth D. Jackson, a sixth-grader at Busch AAA Middle School, and Omnia Nesbitt, a seventh-grader at Langston Middle School.

The winners earned tickets to the national semifinal and championship games and tickets to the Women’s Final Four Salute featuring all four competing teams. They also were honored at the “March to the Arch” in addition to receiving two basketballs and a basketball goal. The 25 participating schools received a cash honorarium, basketballs and a basketball goal for use in their physical education programs.

The NCAA’s Middle School Madness program was launched in 1999 and links both the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours with classroom lessons. The overall goal of the initiative, which includes lesson plans in multiple subjects, activities and games, is to encourage and inspire middle school students through the positive achievements of the student-athletes competing in the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.