Five Decorah High School students qualify for the national competition of Natural History Day

Five Decorah students have advanced to the National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland in June. 

Gara Lonning, Naomi Davidson, Kalle Solberg, Katelyn Yee and Linnea Carlson won top honors in the Senior Group Performance category in a state history competition Friday at the State Historical Museum of Iowa in Des Moines.

Just under 300 Iowa students participated in the competition's Iowa Senior Division for ninth- through 12th-graders.

About 375 students in sixth through eighth grades will compete in the competition's Iowa Junior Division on Monday.

Students advancing from both divisions will compete for scholarships and prizes against nearly 3,000 students from across the United States at the 2014 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day.