Ten girls, eight boys selected as semifinalists for this year’s Tom and Becky program

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Ten girls and eight boys have been selected as semifinalists for this year’s Tom and Becky program. Coordinator Melissa Cummins announced the names on Thursday.

Becky semifinalists are:

• Adalyn Allgood, daughter of Michael and Audra Allgood
• Addilyn Essig, daughter of Danny and Leslie Essig
• Ramona Fenton, daughter of Tim and Courtney Fenton
• Ella Graupman, daughter of Travis and Emilee Graupman
• Maycee Jennings, daughter of David and Shannon Jennings
• Malaina McIntyre, daughter of Stewart and Amy McIntyre
• Ayrabella Porter, daughter of Jessica Mundell
• Magnolia Tarvin, daughter of Laith and Brittany Tarvin
• Ava Warfield, daughter of Eric Warfield and Lindsey Steinman
• Annie Webb, daughter of Derek and Katie Webb

Tom semifinalists are:

• Ivan Deal, son of Renata Burton
• Beck Harvey, son of Matt and Amanda Harvey
• Cayden Jacobsen, son of Dion and Amy Jacobsen
• Thatcher Johnson, son of Neil and Amelia Johnson
• Preston Miller, son of Michael and Sarah Miller
• Corbyn Nichelson, son of Larry and Tracy Nichelson
• Brycen Puterbaugh, son of Bruce and Jennifer Puterbaugh
• Jaekyn Thomure, son of Bradley and Alisha Thomure

Interested Hannibal seventh grade students presented speeches before a panel of nine judges at the Hannibal Middle School on March 14. The panel was comprised of community leaders, the current official Tom, Korbin Asbury, and official Becky, Ainsley Ahrens, and teachers representing Hannibal Middle School, St. John’s Lutheran School and Holy Family Catholic School.

The boys and girls selected will begin preparing for the next stage of judging consisting of a test over Mark Twain, Hannibal, and tourism within Hannibal. Each of the semifinalists will then be interviewed in personal 10-minute interviews before a panel of judges consisting of business owners, community leaders and people familiar with the tourism industry, Mark Twain and the Tom and Becky Program. The interviews are scheduled for April 25 at Hannibal-LaGrange University.

The Tom and Becky Program, created in 1956, selects outstanding Hannibal youths who portray Twain’s famous couple, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, and serve as ambassadors for the city of Hannibal.