Waukon High School Large Group Speech advances to All-State

February 8, Waukon High School’s Large Group Speech team headed to Waterloo to perform at the State competition. At the District competition two weeks earlier, 11 groups competed and nine of those were advanced to the State contest. The large groups that competed at State included two improvisational groups, a reader’s theatre group, a one-act play, musical theater, group mime, radio news, and two short films. Of the nine groups that performed at Waterloo, one has been selected to advance to All-State in Ames this Saturday, February 22.
That All-State group - the Reader’s Theatre students performing “How to Build an American Teenage Quilt” – is comprised of eight individuals who are pictured left to right: sophomores Courtney Hansen and Taylor Becker, seniors Laura Riese, Anna Hoins and Kullan Klinge, sophomores Zach Troendle and Kameron Klinge, and freshman Matt Hoins. According to faculty member coaches Louise Wild and Greg White, the group is elated and excited at the opportunity to perform on the big stage at All-State, and it is a great way to send off the seniors who worked very hard over the last several years. It is a tremendous honor to be selected for All-State, and the students are very happy their hard work has paid off. Noting that it has been a "crazy" year for the speech contest teams due to weather making it difficult to organize consistent practices, the students and coaches made the most of their time together to put together some very powerful and moving performances. "Every group that competed worked hard and performed very well," Coaches Wild and White shared. "We wish to extend a 'job well done' to all the members of Large Group Speech. We want to congratulate the Reader’s Theatre group for excelling against such stiff competition, and wish them all the best as they head to All-State. We know they will do a great job and make Waukon High School proud." Photo and report by Waukon Publications Staff.