The Thomas Hunter Middle School Junior Beta Club won six ribbons—including first-place finishes in the Tower of Power, Poetry and Science categories—in the Virginia Junior Beta Club Convention, held Feb. 13-14 at the Embassy Suites and Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hampton.

“Thousands of Virginia’s brightest students were there and the competition was stiff,” said Amy Hauser, Thomas Hunter’s assistant principal and head Junior Beta sponsor. “I have never been more proud of our students, the sportsmanship they demonstrated and the academic prowess they displayed.”

Henry Barnett not only took first place in the Poetry competition, he also placed third in Wreath Making. Henry Hospodar placed first in the Science category.

The other first-place finish went to the school’s Tower of Power team. That team was tasked with engineering the tallest free-standing tower made of plastic drinking straws and capable of supporting a tennis bal...