Decorah High School will be sending 26 entries to the state speech competition

Posted: Mon, Jan 27, 2020 9:40 AM

The Decorah speech and drama team had a spectacular showing Saturday at the District Large Group Speech contest, which was hosted at Decorah High School. Of Decorah's 28 entries, 26 earned Division I ratings and will advance to the State competition next month.

The 9th grade team performed in 5 entries, all of which are moving on to State. The varsity team earned 21 Division I ratings and two Division II ratings. The State speech contest will take place on February 8th at Dubuque Senior High School.

"We are extremely proud of the work of our students and equally appreciative of the work of all of the volunteers, parents and staff members who worked diligently to make this event a success for all the students involved in the event," said Decorah High School Associate Principal Adam Riley.

Varsity Team Division I Entries:
Musical Theater
Newsies: Coached by Gabe Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, and Tom Houdek
Ally Bouska, Finn Deen-Lester, Tyler Irwin, Mitch Leschensky, Annette Leschensky, Noah Lovelace, Dylan Muhlbauer, and Katie Storie.

Come From Away: Coached by Gabe Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, and Tom Houdek
Joe Courtney, Amber Hussain, Leila Johnson, Nolan Jostand, Ruby Langholz, Cooper McElree, Lily Smith, and Kaj Spencer

Ensemble Acting
The Other Room: Coached by Tom Houdek
Drew Chamberlain, Ruby Langholz, Annette Leschensky, Landon Miller, AJ Morrow, and Dylan Muhlbauer

The Complete Works of Harry Potter: Coached by Gabe Twedt
Grace Bachelder, Storme Barr, Lillian Grouws, Abby Hanson, Sophie Schwartz, and Soleil Smith

Five Women Wearing the Same Dress: Coached by Carrie Kauffman
Kaya Hougen, Mikiah Krieg, Danielle Lundtvedt, Anja Madsen, and Greta Ransom

Solo Mime
Directed by Gabe Twedt, Carrie Kauffman, and Molly Holkesvik
Say Cheese!: Kendra Bigler

Boy: Finn Deen-Lester

Have Mercy: Katie Valkosky

Group Mime
Directed by Carrie Kauffman and Molly Holkesvik
A Sticky Situation: Storme Barr, Morgan Brauer, Amanda Kavan, Izzy Kingsbury, Sierra Kruger, and Anja Madsen

Fly Away: Connor Cook, Danielle Lundtvedt, Angel Peña-Rodriguez, Sophie Schwartz, and Will Schwartz

Reader's Theater
Directed by Gabe Twedt and Carrie Kauffman
The Old Moon: Kendra Bigler, Katie Bjergum, Blake Donlon, Owen Henning, Karen Henriquez, Leila Johnson, Sierra Kruger, Noah Lovelace, Asha Merritt, Sarah Pedlar, Mya Sullivan, Britta Swanson, Katie Valkosky, and Peter Wilson

Choral Reading
Directed by Molly Holkesvik
We Are Human: Shayla Betts, Katherine Bruening, Conner Cook, Joseph Courtney, Sofie Grouws, Abby Hanson, Aidan Hunter, Amber Hussain, Amanda Kavan, Angel Peña-Rodriguez, Maddie Putnam, Ella Runestad, Will Schwartz, Kaj Spencer, and Mya Sullivan

One Act
Directed by Tom Houdek
Candid: Luke Benzing, Patrick Bockman, Ally Bouska, Owen Bruening, Logan Halverson, Tyler Irwin, Galen Iverson, Mitch Leschensky, Andrew Magner, Maddie Putnam, Sam Robinson, Seth Shindelar, and Katie Storlie

Improv
Directed by Tyler Irwin
Group One: Isaac Cooper, Wyatt Hackman, Nadia Johnson, and Anya Lovstuen

Group Two: Gabe Anderson, Jay Fjelstul, Kaya Hougen, Simon Mumford, and Matthew Smith

TV News
Directed by Gabe Twedt and Molly Holkesvik
Crisis: The Conflict Within: Drew Chamberlain, Emma Brauer, Grace Gerleman, Sofie Grouws, Aidan Hunter, Anya Lovstuen, Keneddy Manhart, Emma Nierengarten, Samantha Reilly, Kaitlyn Schnitzler, Kari Tangen, Nia Whitsitt, Ruby Sullivan, and Rebecca Klotzbach

Iowa Wild: Liz Clement, Landan Folkedahl, Thomas Hadley, Owen Henning, Nils Holkesvik, Mara Holland, Brendan Hunter, Lydia Ihde, Nolan Jacobsen, Kaia Neal, Mara Pankow, Kassidy Steines, Kiersten Benson, Brooke Berns, Keely Hermanson

Radio
Directed by Gabe Twedt
KOST: Kiersten Benson, Lillian Grouws, Nils Holkesvik, Amanda Kuehner, Jenna Lundtvedt, Payton Schutte, and Anna Tallier

KART: Morgan Dlhy, Alysa Hanson, Kaya Hines, Abby Moen, Mara Pankow, Allison Pavlovec, Tate Schissel, and Payton Taylor

Short Film
Directed by Molly Holkesvik
224: Koryn Bakken, Katie Bjergum, Anna Blaess, Cai Brevig, Fiona Buresh, Brielle Buresh, Braden Elton, Edwin Holyoake, MiKenna Martin, AJ Morrow, Kalea Oftedahl, Grace Robison, and Samantha See

#dearfuture: Rachel Bower, Morgan Brauer, Hallie Busta, Annika Franzen, Abby Halverson, Cole Huebner, Lauren Johnson, Ellie Luzum, Simon Mumford, Mya Numedahl, Isaac Roberts, Clara Rooney, Ashley Schneberger, Grace Thompson, and Luke Walter

Varsity Division II Entries

Improv

Directed by Tyler Irwin

Abby Milburn, Peter Wilson, and Alexis Svestka

Group Mime
Directed by Carrie Kauffman and Molly Holkesvik
Who Done It?: Koryn Bakken, Emily Carolan, Karen Henriquez, Paige Lange, and Mikenna Martin

9th Grade Team Division I Entries
Reader's Theater
Directed by Gabe Twedt and Carrie Kauffman
Macademia Mayhem or How the Nut Cracked: Rebecca Anderson, Junior Battle, Casey Brickley, Sophia Christman, Ella Grouws, Alex Kane, Franklin Lesmeister, Ada Lovelace, Jake Magner, Ethan Stravers, and Max Wilson

TV News
Directed by Molly Holkesvik
Impact: Reconstructing the American Justice System: Rebecca Anderson, Sophia Christman, Ella Grouws, Alex Kane, Brinley Krivachek, Jake Magner, Grace Neal, Kortni O'Connell, Bekah Pedlar, Annalise Skrade, Daniel Skrade, and Ethan Stravers

Short Film
Directed by Molly Holkesvik
Grit: Julia Alberts, Casey Brickley, Leslie Campbell, Amelia Dugger, Ming Kester, Brinley Krivachek, Morgan Moen, Kortni O'Connell, Ellen Rooney, Evan Rowley, Hannah Schnitzler, Gareth Sweet, and Max Wilson

Choral Reading
Directed by Molly Holkesvik
Rise Up: Julia Alberts, Rebecca Bruening, Leslie Campbell, Chloe Chyle, Jenna Hartz, Sally Laybourn, Britann Mettille, Morgan Moen, Grace Neal, Kailyn O'Gara, Mya Redenius, Ellen Rooney, Thea Schissel, and Julia Schwartz

Improv
Directed by Tyler Irwin
Alex Irwin, Adam Jones, Sally Laybourn, Ada Lovelace, and Ramsey Zilka