Decorah students do well at speech contest

Around 170 Decorah High School students participated in the District Large Group Speech Contest at Waukon High School on Saturday.

The DHS Varsity Team received 18 division one ratings, while the DHS 9th Grade Team received 8 division one ratings. The varsity students are coached by Thomas Houdek, Molly Holkesvik, Janelle Keune and Gabe Twedt. The 9th grade students are coached by junior and senior speech students.

All of the groups receiving division one ratings will be participating in the state contest, which will be hosted by Dubuque Senior High School on Saturday, February 4th. Contest details will be available online at www.ihssa.org, complete with a schedule later this week. The contest is open to the public. Three dollars is the suggested donation for admission for audience members. Coaches encourage as many family and friends as possible to make the trip to Dubuque to support the DHS speech students.

DHS Varsity speech groups advancing include readers theatre, choral reading, one-act play, two group improvisations, two group mimes, two solo mimes, two musical theatres, three ensemble actings, two radio broadcastings, one short film, and television news. Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

Readers Theatre directed by Gabe Twedt--"Action News: Now With 10 Percent More Action" Parker Beard, Erica Bjelland, Jemel Bostic, Emma Breitenstein, Grace Dambek, Oran Deen-Lester, Rosa Gregorie, Dylan Henning, Jenna Hardlicka, Kelly Minear, Daniel Rinaldelli, Mackenzie Schaeffer, Elizabeth Shroyer, Kinsey Whitehill, Katherine Whitehill

Choral Reading directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabe Twedt--"I Never Saw Another Butterfly" Kirsten Arneson, Randi-Kate Canoy, Connor Edrington, Dailen Folkedahl, Madison Grimm, Ethan Hougen, Hannah Hougen, Elizabeth Hovden, Anna Hovden, Tessa Kraus, Kendra Larsen, Emily Markee, Ford Nesteby, Lukas Philips, Steffenee Voigt

One-Act Play directed by Thomas Houdek--"Running Upstream" Grace Dambek, Gabriel Eide, Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig, Marea Holkesvik, Bretta Krieg, Jacob Kvale, Peter Lillibridge, James Ostlie, Michael Peter, Isabela Rosales, Sara Schloesser, Drew Schwartz, Kaitlin Yahr

Group Improvisation directed by Thomas Houdek--Erica Bjelland, Kyle Hove, Kayla Ingvalson, Anna Madrigal, Blaise Schaeffer

Group Improvisation directed by Thomas Houdek--Alex Carney, Kylie Kruse, Zachary Schmelzer, Morgan Weis

Group Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik--"A Flight to Remember" Leigh Balderrama, Jemel Bostic, Maleah Garwood, Noreen Gentry, Blaise Schaeffer, Lindsay Vande Lune

Group Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik--"Holding On" Carolina Deifelt Streese, Colin Zidlicky

Solo Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik "Pizza Face" Colin Zidlicky

Solo Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik--"A Peaceful Evening in the Cinema" Maleah Garwood

Musical Theatre directed by Thomas Houdek--"West Side Story" Lucas Blekeberg, Aubrey Ellickson, Hannah Leeper, Isaac Mertzenich, Timothy Misseldine, Isabela Rosales

Musical Theatre directed by Thomas Houdek--"Newsies" Connor Gossman, Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig, Jacob Kvale, James Ostlie, Michael Peter, Drew Schwartz

Ensemble Acting directed by Janelle Keune--"Confessions of a High School Bathroom" Lydia Hayes, Marea Holkesvik, Jenna Hrdlicka, Clara Kittleson, Aidan Spencer, Liv Ulring

Ensemble Acting directed by Janelle Keune--"Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" Carli Galligan, Kiersten Jensen, Shana Kelly, Kayla Peterson, Alison Schwartzhoff, Faith Vilardo

Ensemble Acting directed by Janelle Keune--"When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet" Mitchell Burggraf, Timothy DeVore, Lukas Goebel, Ethan Hougen, Thomas Knobbe, Anders Wahlberg

Radio Broadcasting directed by Gabe Twedt--"KOWS" Parker Beard, Hans Holkesvik, Morgan Ihde, Max Kemp, McKinleigh McCabe, Jordan Schaller, Lindsay Vande Lune, Nathan Frana

Radio Broadcasting directed by Gabe Twedt--"KYUM" Emily Alcock, Shannon Bruening, Abby Meirick, Lindsay Smith, Daniel Usgaard

Short Film directed by Molly Holkesvik "demon"--Alex Carney, Carolina Deifelt Streese, Connor Edrington, Pearl Faldet, Alice Gullekson, Hans Holkesvik, Jacqueline Hoyme, Max Kemp, Noah Klammer, Jacob Miller, Tage Olson, Paul Sullivan, Shelby Varney

Television Newscasting directed by Molly Holkesvik--"KNOW" Emily Alcock, Hannah Bernatz, Elizabeth Cepeda, Timothy DeVore, Kelsey Einck, Pearl Faldet, Laura Francois, Krista Fretheim, Alice Gullekson, Rachel Haindfield, Kilah Hemesath, Kyle Hosting, Elizabeth Hovden, Kyle Hove, Maria Hoyme, Jacqueline Hoyme, Brittany Hudson, Morgan Ihde, Samuel Iverson, Annalise Johnson, Kylie Kozelka, Tessa Kraus, Kylie Kruse, Taylor Lane, Peter Lillibridge, McKinleigh McCabe, Abby Meirick, Crystal Mensen, Jacob Miller, Tage Olson, Bryce Pierce, Breanne Pierce, Sara Schloesser, Daniel Usgaard, Morgan Weis, Makenzie Wiesler, Ian Wold, Kaitlin Yahr

DHS 9th speech groups advancing include choral reading, one group improvisation, two musical theatres, two ensemble actings, and two radio broadcastings. Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

Choral Reading directed by Kendra Larsen--Randi-Kate Canoy, and Emily Markee "Sages of Sensibility" Leah Blekeberg, Gabrielle Bruns, Catrina Bruns, Emma Dambek, Rachel Dougan, McKinley Eide, Brenna Herrmann, Steven Holkesvik, Madison Ihde, Mary Murphy, Hannah Rooney, Anna Swanson, Caleb Ulring

Group Improvisation directed by Zachary Schmelzer, Kayla Ingvalson and Anna Madrigal--Gabrielle Cowie, Maria McDonough, Tess Olinger, Freddie Paulson, Will Yahr

Musical Theatre directed by Claire Breitenstein, Emma Breitenstein, and Colin Zidlicky--"The Little Mermaid" Charles Baldwin, Reese Drenth, Michael Foster, Caleb Kvale, Gara Lonning, McKenzie Snyder

Musical Theatre directed by Aubrey Ellickson, Kayla Peterson, and Carolina Deifelt Streese--"The Lion King" Emily Gomersall, Madison Ihde, Linnea Kephart, Adam Knight, Gable Lonning, Will Yahr

Ensemble Acting directed by Elizabeth Shroyer and Liv Ulring--"Bob's Date" Charles Baldwin, Simon Cropp, Paul Fadness, Connor Freeman, Molly Hovden, Shelby Stalberger

Ensemble Acting directed by Kiersten Jensen, Maddie Grimm, and Gabriel Eide--"Courting 101" McKinley Eide, Linnea Kephart, Gable Lonning, Gara Lonning

Radio Broadcasting directed by Hannah Bernatz and Kylie Kozelka--"KYUM" Gabrielle Bruns, Catrina Bruns, Reid Drenth, Parker Fretheim, Kassie Hoyme, Amanda Taylor

Radio Broadcasting directed by Hannah Bernatz and Kylie Kozelka--"KWW2" Leah Blekeberg, Greyson Bryant, Brenna Herrmann, Steven Holkesvik, Adam Knight, Hannah Rooney

Other DHS speech groups that also competed at the district contest included one musical theatre, one solo mime, one group mime, three group improvisations, one short film, and one readers theatre. Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

Musical Theatre directed by Thomas Houdek--"Hercules" Claire Breitenstein, Rita Marie Guzman, Bretta Krieg, Margaret Locke, Maria Mertzenich, Brad Suhr, Kaleb Michel

Solo Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik--"The Sacred Petal" Noreen Gentry

Group Mime directed by Colin Zidlicky--"Date Night Tragedy" Rachel Dougan, Michelle Halse, Teressa Lundvedt, Mary Murphy, Rachel Selig, Kellie Sharp

Group Improvisation directed by Thomas Houdek--Rebecca Alcock, Alexis Hove, Thomas Knobbe, Partick Murphy, Cole Svestka

Group Improvisation directed by Zachary Schmelzer, Kayla Ingvalson, and Anna Madrigal--Greyson Bryant, Olivia Dieschbourg, Reese Drenth, McKenzie Snyder, Shelby Stalberger

Group Improvisation directed by Zachary Schmelzer, Kayla Ingvalson, and Anna Madrigal--Connor Freeman, Clare Gullekson, Anna Kane, Caleb Kvale, Ruth Vermace

Short Film directed by Timothy DeVore and Mitchell Burggraf--"We Have to Save People?" Olivia Dieschbourg, Reid Drenth, Michael Foster, Michelle Halse, Teressa Lundvedt, Isaac Marquardt, Maria McDonough, Freddie Paulson, Karl Sand, Anna Swanson, Amanda Taylor, Caleb Ulring, Ruth Vermace

Readers Theatre directed by Kirsten Arneson and Shelby Varney--"Christmas in the Land of Oz" Gabrielle Cowie, Simon Cropp, Emma Dambek, Paul Fadness, Emily Gomersall, Clare Gullekson, Molly Hovden, Kassie Hoyme, Anna Kane, Isaac Marquardt, Tess Olinger, Karl Sand, Kellie Sharp.