Decorah students do well at State Speech Contest

The Decorah High School speech department went 18 for 18 on Saturday at the Northeast State Large Group Speech Contest at Dubuque Senior High School.

All 18 of the high school's varsity speech groups received Division I ratings.  Four of Decorah High School's 9th grade speech entries also won Division 1 ratings.  The groups that were selected by the judges as "Outstanding" will perform at the All-State Speech Festival on Saturday, February 18th, at the Iowa State Center in Ames.  Those results will be posted on the IHSSA website (www.ihssa.org) when available. Results will likely take longer this year as weather forced some schools in the southwest to postpone their contest.

The DHS 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.

DHS Varsity speech groups receiving Division I Ratings included 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% 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

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 receiving Division I Ratings included choral reading, one musical theater, and two ensemble actings. 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

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

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

DHS 9th speech groups also competing included two group improvisations, one musical theatre, and two radio broadcastings. Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

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

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

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

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.