More than 220 West Virginia eighth-graders were inducted as Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Society at a ceremony Friday in Charleston. The students scored highest on the test designed to measure their knowledge of West Virginia history.
Given every year since 1931, the Golden Horseshoe Society is named after the action of Virginia Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood, who in 1716 put together a group to explore west of the Allegheny Mountains, and presented each member of the party with a golden horseshoe to commemorate the expedition.
This year's winners of the Golden Horseshoe, and their home counties, include:
Autumn Edmond, Zachery Hart, Gabrielle Kittle; Berkeley County: Revan Buan, Mikhaela Ferguson, James Humen, James Lamp, Hailey Martz, Monica Power, Matthew Price, Jasmine Reese, John Riordan, John Sloan;
Noah Jarrell, Bryce Keith, Wesley Kimler, Austin Trail;
Marilyn Hosey, Peyton Smith, Jamie Yoder; Brooke County: Ashley Arca, Maxwell Camilletti, Riley Mcallister; Cabell County: Peter Burbery, Claire Fulks, Justin Holley, Hunter Kirtley, Nathaniel Lawson, Ashton Scarberry, William Turman;
Logan Carpenter, Karlie Whited;
Hunter Jones, Carly Osborne, Dalton Salisbury; Doddridge County: Madison Heflin, Alexander Siegl;
Jadyn Allen, Adam Gill, Caleb Morton, Travis Scarbrough, Betty Watson;
Rhea Finley, Kandus Sumpter;
Levi Huffman, Mikayla Kopf, Dawson Tingler;
Casey Bennett, Matthew Canaan, Peyton Pack, Scott Perry;
Paige Chaney, Taylor Richman, Ethan Sowers;
Madeline Lengthorn, Isabel Loch, Alyssa Russell, Katie Webster;
Isabella Henderson, Thomas Williams, Mark Wratchford II;
Ariana Foster, Owen Hess, Jackson Jacobs IV, Sophia McMillion, Savannah Perkins, Vincent Pinti, Andrew Ramsey;
Alexander Gwynn, Ethan Shockey, Jilliann Throneberry, Addison Wilkinson; Jefferson County: Quinlan Keys, Evan Miller, Nicholas Olsen, James Sammons, Haley Shuman, Joshua Shupe;
Anthony Billanti, Jayden Blaylock, Andrew Casingal, Walker Combs, Michael Fox, Brandy Hall, Whitney Hughes, Jacob Jones, Levi Kincaid, Connor Mann, Duncan McGee, Kendyl Monday, Ryan Richards, Emily Rinick;
Jacob Carder, Isaac Hall, Kassandria White;
Amelia Godwin, Dylan Mccormick, Joshua Phillips;
Joshua Bartram, Dorian Kenne, Zachary Lowes, Kalee Vernatter; Marion County: Victoria Blickenstaff, Katherine Dillon, Sophia Flower, Conner Linger, Zachary Morphew;
Ethan DiPasquale, Kaylee Gray, Jourdan Jasenec, Adam Marquart;
Ethan Elias, Peyton Jordan, Aidan Sang, Wyatt Stanley;,
Bailey DeHaven, Christian Freeman, Blake Lockhart; Mercer County: Jackson Ball, Nolan Mangus, Zachary Martin, Kyle Shrewsbury, Darian Spaulding, Austin Stapleton;
Hayden Faulk, Evan Matlick, Daniel Owens, Carlton Shoemaker;
Trace Clark, Zachary Cox, Erick Fitchpatrick, Donald Robinson;
Emma Gray, Kyle Hawthorne, Zachary Lemaire, Maeve Leyden, Tyler Robertson, Van Tran;
Kaleb Ganoe, Sarah McClure, Robert Sparks; Morgan County: Jaymie Adkins, Cole Morris, Leah Reed;
Jenna Cooper, Shade Rader, Macy Ward;
Carmen Alexander, Michael Dague, Alexander Magruder, Maxim Schmidt;
Ashton Heavener, Katelyn Scott; Pleasants County: Peyton Oliver, Hunter Thomas;
Charity Warder, Trevor Wilson;
Megan Noss, Shawn Shultz, Molly Sphar, Lorn Wolfe;
Sydney Cain, Aaron Cobb, Madison Goff, Brian Lauerman, Ryan Parsons, Ethan Smith;
Grant Davis, Rachel Feldhake, Laken Kincaid, Shelby Meador, Madison Miller, Emogene Redden, Zachary Ward;
Isabella Karlen, Taylor McKinnie, Natalie Teter;
Isaiah Guess, Andrea Kirk, Brady Reed;
Abigail Evans, Jackson Mace, Chloe Sotomayor;
Zachary Bowling, Alexis Garansuay, Jessica Moore;
Quincy Copeland, Joseph Dingeldein, Jacob Freeze;
Nathan L. Davis, Stacey Moore;
Creed Ammons, Sarah Hashman, Benjamin Stackpole;
Tarani Day, Stella Ullman, Caitlyn Wendling, Kassidy Wilfong;
Javan Christian, Benjamin Fortner, Allen Lin, Dustin Sturdivant, Addison Wilson;
Sierra Davis, Michael Mccartney, Jereamiah Mccourt;
Walter Joy, Logan Norris, Karina Patel;
Gabriel Adams, Natalie Wells;
Ryan Daley, Matthew Lebo, Gracie Lowers, Leah O'Donnell, Aidan Roberts, Elizabeth Sexton, Andrew Shaw, Benjamin Vierheller;
Isaiah Damiani;
Jacob Bishop, Matthew Caldwell, Nicolette Hall, Chloe Hatfield.