From more than 300 young actors...

From more than 300 young actors who competed, Torrie Gekas, 16, of

Newport Beach won first place at the International Thespian Society

California State Festival at Pomona College. She performed one

monologue from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” and another from

Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters” and was named best performer. In

addition, she and her partner were awarded third place for

improvisation. Gekas intends to compete at the Thespian Nationals at

the University of Nebraska in June. Gekas attended Lincoln Elementary

School in Corona Del Mar, where she played a major role in the

sixth-grade play “Bye Bye Birdie,” directed by Claire Ratfield. That

inspired her to continue with an arts education at the Orange County

High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, where she is a junior. An

honors student, Gekas is president of her high school’s Thespian

Society chapter and was named Queen of the Winter Formal.... Corona

del Mar resident Sydney Leonard turned 100 on Monday. The staff and

members at Oasis Senior Center threw him a birthday party Friday,

when he was honored with cake and a card from President Bush. Leonard

has lived in Corona del Mar for 50 years, after longing to live near

the ocean for most of his life. He is an avid gardener and spent a

good portion of his life as a farmer. Still very active, he attends

dances at the Senior Center once a month, walks for nearly one hour

daily and spends time gardening every day.... Kathryn Salter,

daughter of Wendy and Fred Salter of Corona del Mar, has been named

to the Merit List at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. To be eligible

for Merit List recognition, a student must earn a grade-point average

of at least 3.45. Salter is a senior, majoring in psychology .... The

Corona del Mar High School and Middle School PTA held a tea party on

March 22 to mark the 108th birthday of the National PTA. Honorary

Service Awards were presented to eight people in recognition of their

outstanding service to students and the community. A contribution has

been made in each recipient’s name to the state PTA scholarship fund.

The honorees included parent volunteers Valerie Bechelli and Lori

Berg; Bill Leach, history department; Gary Almquist, science

department and boys’ wrestling coach; Andy Halpin, Newport Beach

Police Department and community resource officer at the high school;

John Weyrauch, math department; Bill Sumner, cross-country and track

coach; and Karen Yelsey, volunteer.

* NEIGHBORS spotlights achievements in the community. Please

direct information to Lindsay Sandham by fax at (714) 966-4679, or e-mail lindsay.sandham @latimes.com.