Area high schools had numerous students advance to state in the Iowa High School Speech Association Individual Contest this past weekend.

Five area schools participated at the Marshalltown site. Pella High School had 27 entries receive division I ratings and advance to State, and Knoxville will send 11 acts to the next round. Pella Christian had 17 of their 19 entries earn the top score as well. PCM students combined for 12 “I” ratings, and Melcher-Dallas had six performances receive the top mark. Twin Cedars participated at the Tri County site in Keokuk County, and four students are advancing to state. Pleasantville did not send anyone to Marshalltown due to weather.

Any students earning a Division I Superior Rating advance to state.
PELLA:
Grace Larson – After Dinner – I
Isaac Zeimetz – Improv – I
Connor Gauley – Improv – I
Travis Mitchell – Solo Musical Theatre – II
Kaleb Nguyen – Prose – I
Zoe Card – Literary Program I
Lydia Taylor – Solo Musical Theatre – II
Allison Clark – Review – I
Will Rasmussen – Radio News – I
Natalie Henry – Solo Musical Theatre – I
Travis Mitchell – After Dinner – I
Will Rasmussen – Improv – I
Hanna Kendall – Prose – I
Ethan Vance – Literary Program – I
Emily Cutler – Spontaneous Speaking – II
Luigi Lopez – Storytelling – I
Connor Gauley – After Dinner – I
Caroline Henry – Prose – I
Kaleb Nguyen – After Dinner – I
Jack Stratton – Radio News – I
Taylor Decious – Solo Musical Theatre – I
Michael Schildroth – Solo Musical Theatre – I
Grace Larson – Review – I
Ethan Vance – Improv – I
Abygail Schuring – Solo Musical Theatre – I
Liam Peffers – Literary Program – I
Brenna Hildebrand – Acting – I
Elaine Schippers – Poetry – I
Elizabeth Lovell – Poetry – I
Isaac Zeimetz – Acting – I
Frances DeAmond – Acting – II

PELLA CHRISTIAN:
PCHS students earning the I’s at the District event include: Ryan Van Gilst (Prose and Musical Theatre), Alexis De Vries (Poetry and Lit Program), Thomas Dykstra (Musical Theatre), Mitaya Williams (Storytelling and Lit Program), Tyler Egesdal (Musical Theatre and Storytelling), Lindsay Breon (Storytelling), Emma Stravers (Acting), Abby Ambroson (Poetry), Patrick Strang (Poetry), Dawson Ford (Review), Halie Vermillion (After Dinner), Abigail Gosselink (Prose), Emily Van Beek (Prose). Events receiving II’s include Dawson Ford (Improv) and Patrick Strang (Radio News).

KNOXVILLE:
Musical Theatre – Katelynn Collins – I
Original Oratory – Asa Leonard – I
Original Oratory – Bree Burton – I
Original Oratory – Nyan Baker – I
Spontaneous Speaking – Tierney Heffron – I
Spontaneous Speaking – Nyan Baker – I
Spontaneous Speaking – Asa Leonard – I
Expository Address – David Balush – I
Poetry – Taylor Wyss – I
Poetry – Alaina Gerdes – I
Prose – Taylor Wyss – I
Prose – Tierney Heffron – II
Expository Address – Sameer Tahir – IV

PCM:
Alex Inskeep with a Literary Program entitled “Finding Our Way”–Division I
Sydney Burns with a Musical Theatre entitled “She Used to be Mine”–Division I
Magan Van Haaftan with Poetry Reading entitled “Welcome to America and The Fire’s Still Burning”–Division I
Blake VanDerKamp with Acting entitled “Sweeping”–Division I
Madeline Buys with Musical Theatre entitled “Summer in Ohio”–Division I
Jacob Cox with Improvisation–Division I
Brenden VanderPool with Improvisation–Division I
Jacob Cox with Spontaneous Speaking–Division I
Payton Konek with Public Address entitled “March for Life”–Division I
Jared Smith with Spontaneous Speaking–Division I
Carson Clark with After Dinner Speaking entitled “Why do People Say Ouch?”–Division I
Madeline Ladehoff with Storytelling entitled “Lamb to the Slaughter”–Division I
Chloe Inskeep with Prose Reading entitled “Little Red Riding Hood–A Politically Correct Fairy Tale”–Division II
Jared Smith with Improvisation–Division II
Mia Rouse with After Dinner Speaking entitled “Disney Convention”–Division II
Brenden VanderPool with Poetry Reading entitled “It Has to Have Meaning, Competition, Beyond Soon”–Division II
Cade McCombs with Poetry Reading entitled “Untitled Poem, The Power of a Smile”–Division II
Chloe Inskeep with Radio News Broadcasting–Division II
Magan Van Haaftan with Storytelling entitled “Avenlight”–Division II
Blake VanderKamp with Spontaneous Speaking–Division II

TWIN CEDARS:
Hunter McCombs I-Rating in Radio News & Improv (State Qualifier Both)
Anna Lopez I-Rating Radio News (State Qualifier)
Casandra Whitlow I-Rating Poerty/II-Rating Prose (State Qualifier Poetry)
Christian Goemaat I-Rating Improv/II-Rating Spontaneous Speaking (State Qualifier Improv)/(Second Year Going to State)
Alexia Crozier II-Rating Poerty
Makayla Carter II-Rating Storytelling

MELCHER-DALLAS:
Evan Putz- I Rating – Prose
J’Lyn Knutson- I Rating – Poetry
Elizabeth Milburn- I Rating – Poetry
Paul Hyatt- II Rating – Prose
Sarah Hyatt- I Rating – Acting
Sarah Hyatt- I Rating – Storytelling
Abby Tadder- I Rating – Reviewing
Mackenzie Putz- II Rating – Prose
Karlee Lovell- II Rating – Literary Program
Dora Bennett- II Rating – Improv
Abby Tadder- II Rating – Literary Program
Paul Hyatt- II Rating – Poetry
Dora Bennett- II Rating Storytelling
Cameron Davis- II Rating – Literary Program
J’Lyn Knutson- II Rating – Acting

Pleasantville did not attend due to weather.