Decorah HS students do well at State Large Group Speech Contest

The Decorah HS varsity speech team received 21 Division I Ratings at Saturday's Northeast State Large Group Speech Contest, the most of any school at the contest.

Approximately 200 Decorah High School students participated in the contest, which was hosted at Decorah High School.  Over 100 high schools competed in the contest with close to 2,500 students and spectators enjoying the performances throughout the day.

The groups that were selected by the judges as outstanding material will perform at the All-State Speech Festival on February 21st at the Iowa State Center in Ames. Those results will be posted on the IHSSA website found at www.ihssa.org late Monday afternoon.

The varsity students are coached by Thomas Houdek, Molly Holkesvik, Gabe Twedt, Kristen Underwood, and Sarah Magner. The 9th grade students are coached by junior and senior speech students.  "As directors, we couldn't be prouder of our students and the way they represented Decorah High School on Saturday with top-notch performances on our 'home court.' The varsity team received the most division one ratings of any school in attendance at the contest! Every performance room on Saturday was packed with a large Decorah crowd, so we must thank our fan base for great support all day long," stated the varsity coaches. "We also want to make sure we thank our volunteers, parents, fellow staff members, and administration for helping us host such a great contest. We couldn't do it without all the great help!"

DHS Varsity speech groups receiving Division I Ratings included one-act play, readers theater, choral reading, two ensemble actings, three musical theaters, three group improvisations, two group mimes, two solo mimes, two radio broadcastings, two short films, and two television news.  Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

One-Act Play directed by Thomas Houdek and Kristen Underwood: "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime" - Charles Baldwin, Garret Baumler, Simon Cropp, Naomi Davidson, Connor Freeman, Clare Gullekson, Chris Hartman, Molly Hovden, Jacob Leeps, Gable Lonning, Teressa Lundtvedt, Isaac Luzum, Drake Schuring, McKenzie Snyder, Richard Weis, Tim Winter

Readers Theater directed by Gabe Twedt and Sarah Magner: "FTPR Presents: A Mediogre Radio Play" - Sofiya Andrushinin, Maggie Breitenstein, Linnea Carlson, Gabrielle Cowie, Emma Dambek, McKinley Eide, Ross Gentry, Parker Grinna, Clare Gullekson, Ashley Gulrud, Lara Guzman, Teressa Lundtvedt, Makinzie Monroe, Kally Peterson, Will Yahr

Choral Reading directed by Molly Holkesvik and Kristen Underwood: "Where The Wild Things Are" - Reese Drenth, Laurel Fadness, Ryan Hageman, Brenna Herrmann, Zyann Hooper, Madison Ihde, Adam Krieger, Christopher Miculinich, Morgan Minear, Katie Perez, Trevor Phillips, Hannah Rooney, Anna Spencer, Anna Swanson, Daiton Tietz

Ensemble Acting directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabe Twedt: "The Santaland Diaries" - Naomi Davidson, McKinley Eide, Loden Henning, Gara Lonning, Kalle Solberg, Richard Weis

Ensemble Acting directed by Kristen Underwood and Sarah Magner: "As Is" - Charles Baldwin, Simon Cropp, Olivia Dieschbourg, Paul Fadness, Parker Fretheim, Shelby Stalberger

Musical Theater directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabe Twedt: "Anastasia" - Garret Baumler, Linnea Carlson, Autumn DeLong, Paul Fadness, Steven Holkesvik, Marguerite Schwarz

Musical Theater directed by Thomas Houdek and Sarah Magner: "The Princess Bride" - Parker Fretheim, Madelyn Jermier, Helen Johnson, Adam Knight, Gara Lonning, Katelyn Yee

Musical Theater directed by Thomas Houdek and Gabe Twedt: "There's No Place Like Home" - Reese Drenth, Micheal Foster, Linnea Kephart, Annika Krieg, Gable Lonning, McKenzie Snyder

Group Improvisation directed by Kristen Underwood: Devin Brevig, Anne Gulleskon, Chris Hartman, Anna Kane, Caleb Kvale

Group Improvisation directed by Kristen Underwood: Olivia Dieschbourg, Brianna Doyle, Indigo Fish, Ali Graves, Tyler Lubke

Group Improvisation directed by Kristen Underwood: Loden Henning, Linnea Kephart, Freddie Paulson, Kalle Solberg

Group Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik: "Can't Stop The Beat" - Cassie Bjerke, Brenna Herrmann, Dalton Brown, Ben Leschensky, Drew Sullivan, Katelyn Yee

Group Mime directed by Sarah Magner: "Mayhem At The Movies" - Katelyn Dehning, Ezri Dowden, Serina Kellogg, Shania Kelly, Andrew Larson, Kayla Walter

Solo Mime directed by Molly Holkesvik: "The Root of the Problem" - Will Yahr

Solo Mime directed by Sarah Magner: "Dreadful Distractions" - Emily Womeldorf

Radio Broadcasting directed by Gabe Twedt: "KAPE" - Leah Davis, Reid Drenth, Ben Dugger, Kyna Henson, Madison McCabe

Radio Broadcasting directed by Gabe Twedt: "KDGN" - Marissa Foels, Isabel Iverson, Lydia Kleckner, Maria Lea, James Lee, Maria McDonough, Jada Vanden Brink, Marissa Weis

Short Film directed by Molly Holkesvik: "Disconnected" - Brenna Betts, Dalton Brown, Augusta Casterton, Ashley Darling, Ben Dugger, Kara Hooper, Abigail Hudson, Emily Irwin, Hannah Klotzbach, Maria Maguina, Daniel Ott, Sam Sacquitne, Drew Sullivan, Jordyn White, Henry Zheng

Short Film directed by Thomas Houdek assisted by Tyler Lubke and Jonah Pankow: "You're Not Alone" - Claudia Cowie, Tyler Dostal, Martina Ricciardi, Natalie Heffern, Payton Hjerleid, Tyler Lubke, Isaac Luzum, Rylee Monteith, Mary Murphy, Tess Olinger, Brent Schaeffer, Shelby Stalberger, Annika Vande Krol, Tim Winter, Emily Womeldorf

Television News directed by Molly Holkesvik assisted by Dalton Brown: "KDIS" - Lauren Bruneau, Lydia Dawley, Micheal Foster, Ashlynn Franzen, Connor Freeman, Chloe Gossling, Kassie Hoyme, Karoline Johnson, Anna Kane, Adam Knight, Ben Leschensky, Monica Malila, Kayla Quandahl, Annika Vande Krol, and Everett Wegge

Television News directed by Molly Holkesvik assisted by Dalton Brown: "KING" - Josephine Berlage, Sylvia Betteridge, Devin Brevig, Lean Davis, Reid Drenth, Kaylee Fjelstul, Alex Hable, Madison Ihde, James Lange, McKinley Lillegraven, Mary Murphy, Tess Olinger, Drake Schuring, Eric Smedsrud, and Kasey Thompson

DHS 9th speech groups receiving Division I Ratings included readers theatre and short film. Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

Readers Theater directed by Emma Dambek, Emily Gomersall, Ashlynn Franzen, Lydia Dawley: "Beauty and the Beast" - Jenna Galligan, Logan Hauber, Rachel Hines, Dawson Holkesvik, Maggy Hovden, Jeny Na, Rylea Ranum, Kaitlyn Rooney, Klara Thompson, Brynne Valkosky, Carina Yee

Short Film directed by Naomi Davidson and Gara Lonning: "Post It" - Nick Bockman, Ethan Chesher, Avery Dugger, Jenna Galligan, Cameron Hamilton, Anna Hanson, Dawson Holkesvik, Jonah Johnson, Nate Larson, Alexandra Nesset, Jarod Phillips, Rachelle Sullivan, Brynne Valkosky

Other DHS speech groups that also competed at the state contest included two ensemble actings, one group improvisation, and two radio broadcastings. Cast lists for those groups are as follows:

Ensemble Acting directed by Kristen Underwood assisted by Meretta Peterson: "This Is The Rill Speaking" - Mackenzie Freeman, Emily Gomersall, Parker Grinna, Steven Holkesvik, Molly Hovden, Karoline Johnson

Ensemble Acting directed by Ashley Gulrud and Will Yahr: "High School Music-less" - Isabel de la Hexom Cruz, Lindsey McEnaney, Maggy Hovden, Abigail Toussaint, Victoria Miller, Kaitlyn Rooney

Group Improvisation directed by Chris Hartman, Loden Henning, and Freddie Paulson: Chance Elton, Victoria Miller, Sonja Sacquitne

Radio Broadcasting directed by Daiton Tietz: "KOWS" - Dawson Bauer, Sydney Byrnes, Blake Courtney, Brannan Hogan, Klara Thompson

Radio Broadcasting directed by Daiton Tietz: "KUFF" - Nick Bockman, Ethan Chesher, Chance Elton, Anna Hanson, Jonah Johnson, Andrew Kephart, Josh Nierengarten, Jarod Phillips