Grayson Maxwell from Larned Middle School has won first place in the sixth-grade division of a statewide Kansas Day photo contest. Maxwell’s photo was titled, “Sunflower in Kansas Wheat Field.”

Governor Laura Kelly announced the winners Friday in the “Happy Birthday, Kansas!” student photo contest in advance of Kansas Day. Video messages and congratulations were released as part of the virtual announcement from Lt. Gov. David Toland; Jennie Chinn, executive director of the Kansas Historical Society; and April Barker, representing the legislative spouses.

“Kansas Day is a perfect day to celebrate and highlight our students’ creativity, innovation, and talent,” Governor Kelly said. “These students captured what we all love about Kansas – and I am incredibly impressed by their remarkable skills.”

The statewide contest, now in its eighth year, invited students first through 12th grades to shoot photographs based on the theme, Favorite Place in Kansas in 2021. The contest received 506 entries from 38 Kansas counties.

View the announcement and all of the first- and second-place winners on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zANxyZYlyrE.