Decorah High School speech students hosted and participated in the State Large Group Speech Contest on Saturday, February 8th held at Decorah High School.

The performers had an excellent showing, earning 27 Division I ratings out of 31 total entries. The ninth-grade team performed in eight entries, and the varsity team performed in 23 entries. 

“We are incredibly proud of our students for all they brought to Saturday’s contest,” stated the coaches. “We are also so grateful for all of the volunteers and workers who made this event possible. Our custodial staff, faculty, kitchen staff, volunteers, parents, and community members are so incredibly supportive. We couldn’t have events like this at Decorah High School without all of them. We would also like to give an extra shout out to Adam Riley, Denise Gulrud, and Jackie Hoyme for the hours of work they spent helping to make sure that the State Large Group Speech Contest ran smoothly.”

All State nominations will be posted after 5 pm on Monday, February 10th on the IHSSA website.

Cast lists for these varsity groups receiving a 1 rating at state contest are as follows:

Choral Reading “Emotional Warfare: Welcome to High School” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Johanna Bergan.

Participants include Natalie Goodner, Tommy Hammel, Camryn Holland, Klaara Short, Klara Kelly, Ezra Harman-Wood, Ava Hanson, Jillian Volz, Jayden Lundtvedt, Emma Cline, Olivia Rissman, Lauren Severtson, and Margaret Hahn.

Ensemble Acting “How to Get Away with a Murder Mystery” was directed by Lyra McKnight.

Participants include Karmyn Bakken, Elliana Brodbeck, Klaara Short, Shawn Holzer, Alex Mercado-Arneson, and Ryan Northup.

Ensemble Acting “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” was directed by Kristen Underwood.

Participants include Elsa Christman, Nora Lesmeister, Isis Timm, Kaylie Wemark, and Margaret Hahn.

Ensemble Acting “These Shining Lives” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Kristen Underwood. 

Participants include Teagan Menke, Noah Potvin, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman, Olivia Volkmann, and Jillian Volz.

Group Improv was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Kristen Underwood. 

Participants performed in three groups. 

Group One: Oliver Brummel, Liam Chamberlain, Jack Sovern, Beau Newhouse, and Ansel Kowitz

Group Two: Jackson Irwin, Tommy Hammel, Grace Stockman, Kyle Pattison, and Landyn Hook

Group Mime “Family Bonding” was directed by Lyra McKnight and Kristen Underwood.

Participants include Elsa Johnson, Myla Leitz, Isis Timm, and Kaelyn Kuhn.

Group Mime “The Library” was directed by Lyra McKnight and Kristen Underwood.

Participants include Leah Suhr, Ariana Albert, Marley Harmening, Nina Sessions, and Teagan Menke.

Solo Mime “Flight Frenzy” by Clarence Nimrod – directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Solo Mime “The Red Shoes” by Vivian Searcy – directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Solo Mime “Miss Adventurfuls” by Margret Zook – directed by Molly Holkesvik, Gabriel Twedt, and Carrie Kauffman.

Musical Theater “Once” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Liam Chamberlain, Gwenyth Thompson, Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Caleb Johnson, Ezra Vorvick, Emma Cline, and Colin Thompson.

Musical Theater “Something Rotten” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman.

Participants include Oliver Brummel, Spencer Christensen, Davis Coppola, Greta Jones, Andy Kruger, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Elsa Christman, and Kealy Hines.

One Act Play “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” was directed by Kristen Underwood.

Participants include Hannah Arendt, Elliana Brodbeck, McKenzie Riley, Ezra Vorvick, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Caleb Johnson, Noah Potvin, Elsa Johnson, Greta Jones, Grace Blikre, and Lily Sandhorst.

Radio Broadcasting “KREK” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Karmyn Bakken, Evynne Downing, Camryn Holland, Leah Suhr, Sam Cline, Lyla Lovstuen, Lulu Bellrichard, and Evan Madsen.

Radio Broadcasting “KMCD” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Asmere Jensen, Mason Myers, Jerald Thompson, Addison Wicklund, Gavy Smith, Stella Pole, Deborah Hougen, and Oskar Swanson.

Radio Broadcasting “KORN” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Grant Zilka, Ezra Harman-Wood, Lily Sandhorst, Eden Scheidel, Kamryn Steines, Kyan Oftedahl, Carter Riley, and Claire Storhoff.

Readers Theater “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Hannah Arendt, Davis Coppola, Annika Keefe, Ansel Kowitz, Andy Kruger, McKenzie Riley, Margret Zook, Grace Blikre, Mikayla Hiner, Jameson LaBelle, Nora Lesmeister, Kaylie Wemark, Lulu Bellrichard, Gwenyth Thompson, and Sawyer Courtney.

Short Film “Anxious” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Johanna Bergan. 

Participants include Thomas Davis, Jack Hammell, Evynne Downing, Asmere Jensen, Marley Harmening, Lyla Lovstuen, Jerald Thompson, Ariana Albert, Kylie Lemke, and Kyan Oftedahl.

Short Film “Cyber-Bully” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Johanna Bergan.

Participants include Marri Feuerhelm, Drew Zwart, Deborah Hougen, Alynne Brandel, Will Robinson, and Gavy Smith.

TV News “Iowa Adventures: Cinema Road Trip” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt. 

Participants include Natalie Goodner, Jayden Lundtvedt, Clarence Nimrod, Beau Newhouse, Grant Zilka, Alynne Brandel, Marri Feuerhelm, Stella Pole, Will Robinson, Drew Zwart, Jack Hammell, Thatcher Brown, Sawyer Courtney, Olivia Rissman, and Oskar Swanson.

TV News “Iowa Cold Case: Decoding a Murder” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt.

Participants include Elliot Berland, Ava Hanson, Kaelyn Kuhn, Naomi Kutz, Myla Leitz, Landyn Hook, Jack Sovern, Kamryn Steines, Carter Riley, Lawrence Christman, Nina Sessions, Claire Storhoff, Spencer Christensen, Sam Cline, and Lauren Severtson.

Cast lists for other varsity groups receiving a 2 rating at state contest are as follows:

Short Film “Fractured Connections” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Johanna Bergan.

Participants include Chester Kvamme, Will Duder, Logan Smith, Patrick Gallagher, Shawn Holzer, Alex Mercado-Arneson, Ryan Northup, Hector Vargas, and Izzy Alley.

Cast lists for the 9th grade groups receiving a 1 rating at state contest are as follows:

Choral Reading “The Complete History of America (Abridged)” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Johanna Bergan.

Participants include Poppy Bellrichard, Kennedy Carlson, Leah Garcia-Prats, Max Goodner, Kaya Johnson, Kora Kelly, Claire Ko, Charlotte LaBelle, Ana Leibold, Gavin Wilkins, and Cooper Ewing.

Ensemble Acting “The Substitute” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Johanna Bergan. 

Participants include Pranav Caton, Eva Hurley, Kaya Johnson, Rachel Weis, and Stella Witt.

Group Improv was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Kristen Underwood.

Participants performed in three groups. 

Group Two: Isaac Bentley, Brody Darling, and Raelyn Newhouse

Radio Broadcasting “KHTL” was directed by Gabriel Twedt and Carrie Kauffman. 

Participants include Kira Dowden, Emma Neebel, Evelyn Opheim, Kate Pattison, Cassie Stammeyer, Anders Wicklund, and Gavin Wilkins.

TV News “Iowa Extreme: The Land Hurricane” was directed by Molly Holkesvik and Gabriel Twedt. 

Participants include Poppy Bellrichard, Isaac Bentley, Kira Dowden, Leah Garcia-Prats, Jay Jensen, Evelyn Opheim, Kate Pattison, Nils Peterson, Ava Burreson, Simone Downing, Ezra Hegdahl, Frankie Kollasch, and Cooper Ewing.

Cast lists for other 9th grade groups receiving a 2 rating at state contest are as follows:

Group Improv was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Kristen Underwood.

Participants performed in three groups. 

Group One: Ava Burreson, Nils Peterson, Pranav Caton, and Eva Hurley

Group Three: Max Goodner, Matthew Burkholder, and Sophia McGee

Short Film “The Final Goodbye” was directed by Molly Holkesvik, Lyra McKnight, and Johanna Bergan.

Participants include Matthew Burkholder, Brody Darling, Jay Jensen, Ana Leibold, and Stella Witt.

Large Group Speech (LGS) participants in hallway in between performances: Naomi Kutz, Olivia Rissman, Jayden Lundtvedt, Emma Cline, Lauren Severtson

Speech participants listen to judges’ comments after performance: Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman, Jillian Volz, Teagan Menke, Olivia Volkmann, and Noah Potvin

Once Musical Theater

Front Row: Emma Cline, Gwenyth Thompson, Mikayla Hiner, Caleb Johnson

Back Row: Jameson LaBelle, Colin Thompson, Liam Chamberlain, Ezra Vorvick

One Act Play

Front Row: Elliana Brodbeck, Lily Sandhorst, Hannah Arendt, McKenzie Riley, Greta Jones, June Breitenbach-Dirks, Kristen Underwood (Director/Coach)

Back Row: Noah Potvin, Ezra Vorvick, Caleb Johnson, Grace Blikre, Elsa Johnson