Three sixth-grade girls at Wakarusa Valley School swept the top prizes in an essay contest about female athletes sponsored by the Kansas University athletics department.

First-place winner Tanner Howard wrote about her cousin, who is a KU coach. Second-place winner Morgan Wilson wrote about her grandmother, and third-place winner Alice Barnes wrote her essay about the school’s physical-education teacher.

They received a gift bag and recognition on Saturday during halftime of the KU women’s victory against Iowa State.

As part of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the contest winners and their classmates participated in a Field Day with KU athletes in the Horejsi Center.

KU athletes judged the essay entries, which came from Lawrence sixth-graders.