{"id":358316,"date":"2025-03-11T15:30:28","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T05:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=358316"},"modified":"2025-03-11T17:01:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T07:01:06","slug":"students-take-on-best-in-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2025\/03\/11\/students-take-on-best-in-region\/","title":{"rendered":"Students Take On Best In Region"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lions regional finalists … from left, Tayla Clapson (St Patrick’s College, Gympie), Tasleigh Gangemi (Kingaroy State High School), Clay Foley (Nanango State High School), Naryn Hinchcliff (Nanango State High School) and Bronte Collett-Nilon (James Nash High, Gympie)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 11, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last-minute substitute Tayla Clapson will be representing the local region at the 2025 District final of the Lions Youth of the Year competition.<\/p>\n

The regional finals were hosted by the Kingaroy Lions Club on Saturday, and held at St Mary’s Hall in Albert Street.<\/p>\n

Tayla represented the Cooloola Gold Lions Club, standing in for a fellow student from St Patrick’s College, Gympie, who could not make it to Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

She competed against students who had won their local Kingaroy, Nanango, Blackbutt, Gympie South and Tin Can Bay club competitions.<\/p>\n

Local finalists were\u00a0Tasleigh Gangemi (Kingaroy Lions Club), Naryon Hinchcliff (Nanango Lions Club) and Clay Foley (Blackbutt Lions Club).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lions Youth Of The Year involves a lot more than just public speaking, although that is an important component.<\/p>\n

The students also undergo face-to-face interviews and are judged on their community and cultural involvement as well as their academic skills.<\/p>\n

Naryon Hinchcliff, from Nanango State High School, took home the prestigious regional Public Speaking award, while Tayla was the overall winner.<\/strong><\/p>\n

She will now represent the region at the District final which will be held as part of a formal dinner at Bargara on March 22.<\/p>\n

The judges for the Kingaroy event were former councillor Terry Fleischfresser,\u00a0 Toastmasters member Marietta Wetzig, Cr Debbie Dennien and St Mary’s Catholic College teacher TeAna Riddell.<\/p>\n