By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN

dobrien@dailynews.net

A new year with new faces has produced the same results for the Thomas More Prep-Marian High School Scholars Bowl team.

At least in the first meet.

Despite losing two talented seniors off last year's team that came within a point of making the state tournament, TMP recorded a perfect 9-0 record earlier to win the Natoma tournament.

TMP placed fourth at regionals -- one spot out of qualifying for state -- the past two years, losing out on a tiebreaker last year.

The young Monarch team, which had no seniors make the season-opening trip this fall, dominated its competition, averaging 90 points a round, including a 130-0 shutout in one of the rounds.

Returnees off last year's team were juniors Alex Becker and Tanner Younie and sophomores Kaleb Stark and Samantha Wilson.

Joining that foursome Friday were newcomers to the team, junior Matt Applequist, sophomore Hannah Keil and freshman Hyo Jin Lin.

Also competing for TMP, which is fielding its largest team in several year, this year will be seniors Nathan Lawson and Ajay Pradhan and sophomores Candace Staab and Jeff Pfeifer.

Next action forTMP will be Monday at Norton.

Essay deadline approaching

The deadline to enter the 2009 Bill of Rights Institute's "Being An American Essay" contest is quickly approaching.

High school students in grades 9 through 12 have until Tuesday to submit an essay answering the question, "What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?"

Ten cash prizes in each of nine regions across the country will be awarded cash prizes from the fourth annual event, with the top three winners from each region, their teacher and a parent or guardian winning an all-expense paid trip to Washington next spring.

Kansas is a member of the Great Plains Region, along with Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Area schools have had a winner in each of the first three years of the event, including Jacqueline Albin, a sophomore from Trego Community High School in WaKeeney last year.

More information about the contest can be found on line at www.beinganamerican.org.

Victoria students help food bank

VICTORIA -- The food bank at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria got a boost this holiday season from the local high school.

In a project with a "Stack the Doorway" theme, Victoria High School's student council collected 780 pounds of food.

Students stacked canned and dry goods to the top of teachers' doorways, and those that stacked the highest earned free time during the school day.