On Saturday, March 11, the Dubuque Senior Speech Team competed in the 2023 State Individual Event Speech Contest at Starmont High School in Arlington, Iowa. The team received overall Division I ratings in 45 performances. The contest is sponsored by the Iowa High School Speech Association.
The Dubuque Senior Speech Team also received 24 Outstanding Performance nominations to the 2023 Individual Event All-State Festival. The Festival was held Monday, March 27 at the University of Northern Iowa. The Dubuque Senior varsity team earned the Iowa High School Speech Association Individual Event Sweepstakes Trophy, given to the school with the most nominations to the Festival. This marks the eleventh consecutive year the Dubuque Senior Speech Team has won the Individual Events Sweepstakes Trophy.
Hempstead High School had a single student advance to the 2023 State Individual Event Speech Contest in two separate categories and receive an Outstanding Performance nomination to the 2023 Individual Event All-State Festival. The individual student was coached by Harmony Roe and Don Stanner.
The Dubuque Senior Speech team is only the second team in IHSSA history to win both the Large Group and IE Sweepstakes Trophy in the same year, and the only school to do it more than once (five times – 2023, 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2013). The group is coached by Aaron Dean, Greg Ernzen, Maria LoBianco, James Riley, Megan Schumacher, Matt Tompkins and Maryjo Williams.
The Festival is sponsored by the Iowa High School Speech Association, which is an affiliate of the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union.
Congratulations to the following students on their achievements:
Individual Events Sweepstakes Trophy
- Dubuque Senior High School
Dubuque Senior High School Individual Event Sweepstakes Trophy
All-State Recognition:
Dubuque Senior High School
- Riley Beck – Solo Musical Theatre
- Peter Boenish – Prose
- Seattle Bontemps – Original Oratory
- Sam Cavanagh – Radio News Announcing
- Alex Dixon – After Dinner Speaking & Expository Address
- Peyton Dixon – Storytelling
- Avery Kane – Acting
- Leah Klapatauskas – Spontaneous Speaking
- Chase Kreimeyer – After Dinner Speaking
- Lucia Kuehn – Acting & Public Address
- Scout Kuehn – Storytelling
- Evelyn Maddux – Acting & Solo Musical Theatre
- Kaitlyn Miller – Expository Address
- Soren Obermueller – After Dinner Speaking & Improvisational Acting
- Paige Putnam – Acting & Poetry
- Jacob Schreiber – Review
- Aidan Seville – Improvisational Acting & Solo Musical Theatre
- Emma Ward – Original Oratory
Hempstead High School
- Hannah Davisdon – Radio News
State Division I (Excellent) Rated Recognition:
Dubuque Senior High School
- Mira Brock – Original Oratory
- Delaney Carber – Storytelling
- Ella Donovan – Literary Program
- Kalea Dostal – Poetry
- Conner Frederick – Radio News Announcing
- Anna Garrett-Douillet – Public Address
- Roz Hoefflin – Public Address
- Norah Homb – Storytelling
- Natalee Killian – Prose
- Leah Klapatauskas – Literary Program
- Scout Kuehn – Solo Musical Theatre
- Iris Lammer-Heindel – Literary Program
- Maura Lawler – Public Address
- Ella Meyer – Original Oratory & Spontaneous Speaking
- Josie Norton – Poetry
- Anna O’Connor – Literary Program
- Henry Raber – After Dinner Speaking
- Maddie Rupp – Expository Address
- Teddy Ruppel – Prose
- Isaiah Schlimm – Spontaneous Speaking
Hempstead High School
- Hannah Davisdon – Review