Special to The Hays Daily News

TOPEKA -- Two northwest Kansas students were finalists for the Mamie Boyd Memorial Award and were recognized Friday at the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas annual banquet in the Sunflower Room of Maner Conference Center in Topeka.

The award is given to the winner of an essay contest open to Kansas students from grades eight through 12.

Echo James of St. Francis Community High School and Christine Thompson of Phillipsburg Middle School finished second and third, respectively.

The award is named in honor of newspaper publisher Mamie Boyd of Mankato and Phillipsburg, who coined the phrase, "Kansas! Say it above a whisper," which was the theme of the essay contest.

Since 1976, Boyd's family has honored her by providing a cash award to the first-place winner.

A panel of Kansas Historical Society staff members judged all contest entries.