Decorah HS team finishes first at regional Envirothon

(Front row): Kieran Okerstrom, Gabby Bruns, Brianna Burke, Devvin Schroeder, Amanda Taylor, Lukas Phillips (Second row): Courtney Robinson, Hannah Rooney, Daiton Tietz, Miles Wilkie, Ian Wold, Steven Holkesvik (Third row):Forde Nesteby, Parker Fretheim, Simon Cropp, Rebecca Alcock, Alexis Hove, Holt Johansen, Nick Vandekrol, Blake Taylor, Dalton Brown, Leah Davis, James Lee (Back row): Isaac Marquardt, Caleb Ulring, Shelby Stalberger, Laura Munkel, Tess Olinger, Will Yahr, Collin Nimrod

A Decorah High School team finished in a tie for first with a FFA team from Riceville at the regional Envirothon contest in Iowa City over the weekend.  "Decorah FIST" (Amanda Taylor, Gabby Bruns, Courtney Robinson, Will Yahr and Lukas Phillips) had the top scores in both the aquatics and forestry tests.  Decorah's "Neature Walkers" (Neature Walkers: Laura Munkel, Alexis Hove, Rebecca Alcock, Nick Vandekrol, Holt Johansen) finished in third, one point off the pace, and had the top score in the soils category.

In addition, Decorah's Really Cool Team of Blake Taylor, Ian Wold, Forde Nesteby, Kieran Okerstrom, and Leah Davis had the top score in Soils and finished alone in 4th place.  Their score will put them in the top fifteen teams in the state but they will not be allowed to compete at the state meet because of the "Decorah Rule".  The rule does not allow more than two teams from one school qualifying for state even if their score at the regional is in the top fifteen.  The rule was put into effect after Decorah sent four teams to state in 2007.  This is the second time that Decorah has had six teams, a state record for participation.

Decorah HS sent 30 students, divided into six teams, with each team member becoming an expert in one of the five categories that were tested at the regional. Whether it was aquatics, forestry, wildlife, soils, or environmental awareness each team member was responsible for learning as much as possible about it.

The fifteen top scoring teams from the Kirkwood regional and the four other regional competitions in Iowa will then have an opportunity to compete at the state Envirothon contest to be held at Springbrook State Park, April 7th.  The winner of the state contest will represent Iowa at the North American Canon Envirothon contest to be held at University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia on July 20-24.

Decorah Poke'mon Masters: Brianna Burke, Dalton Brown, James Lee, Miles Wilkie, and Steven Holkesvik finish in a 7th place tie with the Decorah Brookies: Shelby Stalberger, Tess Olinger, Caleb Ulring, Simon Cropp, Isaac Marquardt

The Decorah Eagles: Hannah Rooney,  Devvin  Schroeder, Daiton Tietz, Collin Nimrod, and Parker Fretheim  finished in 9th