February 19, 2021

Approximately 150 Decorah High School students participated in the Northeast State Large Group Speech Contest hosted at Decorah High School on February 8. DHS speech students are coached by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks, Molly Holkesvik, Carrie Kauffman, Gabriel Twedt, and Cydney Weitzel.

Judges at the state contest selected eight of Decorah High School students’ performances as outstanding; these are honored with the coveted All-State Speech nomination. As in the past, two judges needed to nominate the groups to be considered worthy of this recognition. Complete results and programs can be found on the IHSSA website at www.ihssa.org.

The directors shared, “We are so deeply proud of what our students have accomplished this year. We continue to look forward to the rest of the speech season with individual speech rehearsals already in progress.”

DHS speech groups receiving a nomination as an All-State Honoree include one musical theater, one solo mime, one group mime, one choral reading, one-act play, one television news, one radio broadcasting, and one ensemble acting. 

Varsity Team All-State Nominations:

Musical Theater

A Chorus Line–Directed by Gabe Twedt and Carrie Kauffman

Participants include Ally Bouska, Ella Grouws, Tyler Irwin, Sierra Kruger, Ada Lovelace, Noah Lovelace, Jake Magner, and Haywood Stowe.

Musical Theatre 1
Musical Theatre “A Chorus Line”
Front row (l-r): Ella Grouws, Sierra Kruger
Back row (l-r): Jake Magner, Ada Lovelace, Haywood Stowe, Noah Lovelace, Tyler Irwin, Ally Bouska

Solo Mime–Directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabe Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman

“Cake Loss”–Kendra Bigler

Solo Mime KB 1
Solo Mime “Cake Loss”
Kendra Bigler

Group Mime– Directed by Molly Holkesvik and Carrie Kauffman       

“Pregnancy Pickle”

Participants include Sally Laybourn, Amanda Kavan, Rebecca Anderson, Fiona Buresh, Anja Madsen, and Ruby Sullivan.

Group Mime 1
Group Mime “Pregnancy Pickle”
Amanda Kavan, Ruby Sullivan, Anja Madsen, Fiona Buresh, Sally Laybourn, Rebecca Anderson 

Choral Reading­–Directed by Molly Holkesvik

“The Complete History of America Abridged”        

Participants include Peter Wilson, Luke Walter, Ellen Rooney, Maggie Kane, Leslie Campbell, Julia Alberts, Amanda Kavan, Clara Rooney, Sophia Christman, Michael Njus, Ella Grouws, Drew Chamberlain, Nolan Jacobsen, Lydia Ihde, and Alex Kane.

Choral Reading 1
Choral Reading “Complete History of America, Abridged”
Front row (l-r): Alex Kane, Ellen Rooney, Maggie Kane, Leslie Campbell
Second row (l-r): Clara Rooney, Amanda Kavan, Sophia Christman, Lydia Ihde
Third row (l-r): Luke Walter, Michael Njus, Nolan Jacobsen, Drew Chamberlain, Julia Alberts, Peter Wilson  
Not pictured: Ella Grouws

One Act­–Directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks and Cydney Weitzel

Tracks

Participants include Sarah Pedlar, Anna Tallier, Matthew Smith, Rebecca Anderson, Ellen Rooney, Emma Humpal, Dylan Muhlbauer, Simon Mumford, Gabe Anderson, Sam See, Ada Lovelace, and Hogan Smith.

One Act Play 1

One Act Play “Tracks”
Front row (l-r): Sarah Pedlar, Ellen Rooney, Dylan Muhlbauer
Second row (l-r): Anna Tallier, Ada Lovelace, Sam See, Rebecca Anderson, Matthew Smith, Gabe Anderson 
Not pictured: Emma Humpal, Simon Mumford, Hogan Smith

TV News­–Directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabe Twedt

“Destination Driftless”

Participants include Abby Milburn, Britann Mittelle, Amelia Dugger, Samantha Reilly, Karter Einck, Ashley Schneberger, Lydia Ihde, Anna Tallier, Emma Nierengarten, Edwin Holyoake, Neptune Atwell, Kaia Neal, Annika Franzen, and Drew Berns.

TV News 2
TV News “Destination Driftless”
Front Row (l-r):  Samantha Reilly, Lydia Ihde, Abby Milburn, Kaia Neal 
Second Row: (l-r): Anna Tallier, Emma Nierengarten,  Annika Franzen, Amelia Dugger, Edwin Holyoake, Ashley Schneberger, Britann Mittelle
Not Pictured: Neptune Atwell, Drew Berns, Karter Einck

Radio–Directed by Gabe Twedt

KOOP                      

Participants include Abby Moen, Katelyn Christensen, Alysa Hanson, Easton Luzum, Luke Walter, Sylvia Sandhorst, and Morgan Moen.

Radio Broadcasting 1
Radio Broadcasting “KOOP”
(l-r): Morgan Moen, Sylvia Sandhorst, Alysa Hanson, Abby Moen, Katelyn Christensen, Easton Luzum, Luke Walter

Ninth Grade Team All-State Nomination:

Ensemble Acting–Directed by Rachel Breitenbach-Dirks

“The Santaland Diaries”

Participants include Gabriel Hiner, Kathryn Kelly, Libby Phillips, Danielle Rix, Lucas Arndt, and Peter Essa.

9th Grade Ensemble Acting 1
Ensemble Acting: “The Santaland Diaries” 
(l-r): Kathryn Kelly, Danielle Rix, Peter Essa, Lucas Arndt, Gabriel Hiner, Libby Phillips