2015-2016 poets were selected anonymously by judges from outside the Mankato area.
Up to 3rd Grade
- First Place: Happiness – Rachel Smith
- Second Place: Crystal Waters – Lottie Holz
- Third Place: Sad Mad Glad – Macey Carlson (29b)
- Star Star – Victoria Damman (23)
- Ice Cream – Ava Schneider
- Spring – Lottie Holz (37)
- Oh My! – Jayden Hopkins
- Ketchup – Claire Duncan
Grades 4-7
- First Place: Spring Bud – Gretl Holz
- Second Place: Three Trees – Hannah Leraas
- Third Place: The Sleepy Monster – Muskan Waseem
- Morning – Gretl Holz
- The Last Day of My Life – Muskan Waseem
- Fruit Salad – Quinn Mackie
Grades 8-12
- First Place: Old Pictures – Syke Kirby
- Second Place: Some Words Have No Meaning – Samantha Burt (21)
- Third Place: Curiosity – Jacqui McGregor (1)
- I Watch – Mackenzie Donovan (30b)
- Silk Butterflies – Jacqui McGregor (35)
- Struggling to Escape – Samantha Holz
- The Beauty of the Moon – Farrell Haley
- 11:11 – Farrell Halley
Adult – Humor
- First Place: Fair Trade Coffee – Ed Brekke-Kramer
- Second Place: Convergence – Henry Panowitsch
- Third Place: On the Fence – Meredith Cooke
- It Shouldn’t Take Long – John Just
- Oh, To Be Late – Ed Brekke-Kramer
- Da Europe o’ da Midwest, donchaknow! – Yvonne Cariveau (41)
- Cousins (many times removed) – Derek Liebertz
Adult – Serious
- First Place: Sole Exception – Meredith Cooke
- Second Place: The Cold of January – Jana Bouma
- Third Place: The Chase – Ed Brekke-Kramer
- Dessert First – Henry Panowitsch
- never enuf sleep – Laura K. Murray (36b)
- Caesura – Jana Bouma
- Under A Frozen Moon She Left- Henry Panowitsch
- Juicy Communion – Meredith Cooke
Notable Poets
- Rex MacBeth
- Bill Holm
- Barbara Stevens (39)