PIERRE — Led by three performances scored superior by judges, the Mitchell Christian oral interpretation team was among the top performers at the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s state festival.
The festival was held virtually due to COVID-19 on Dec. 4-5, with participants submitting their performances online.
In Duet Interpretation, Mitchell Christian’s Nathanael Anderberg and Maggie Reynen posted a superior finish. Anderberg also had a superior finish in the Class B Humorous Reading category, and in the Non-Original Oratory division, Jocelyn Baas earned a superior score from the judges. Mitchell Christian’s team is coached by Jill Nydam.
Freeman Academy, led by coach Michelle Fink, had five superior performances, the most of any Class B school and was named to the state festival Team Excellence list. Gregory, coached by Ronda Graber, had three superior finishes, and Avon, advised by Sara Hento, had two superior finishes, with both schools earning Team Excellence awards.
In Class A, Wagner had two superior finishes and earned Team Excellence honors. The team is coached by Mieke Slaba.
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Mitchell High School had one student earn superior honors in Class AA competition. Isabella Lambert, a junior at MHS, received top honors in the Serious Reading division.
The following students from area schools were also honored with superior ratings during the state competition:
Class A
Poetry Reading — Bon Homme: Elijah Eastman; Wagner: Jennifer Barnett.
Serious Reading — Wagner: Kallen Kafka.
Class B
Duet Interpretation — Avon: Reese Powers and Makayla Kopp; Gregory: Keeley Klein and Christian Spann; Mitchell Christian: Nathanael Anderberg and Maggie Reynen.
Humorous Reading — Gregory: Samantha Timanus; Mitchell Christian: Nathanael Anderberg; Mount Vernon: Christa Glanzer.
Non-Original Oratory — Ethan: Claire Mellegaard; Freeman Academy: Samuela Ndongosieme; Kimball: Hannah Havlik; Mitchell Christian: Jocelyn Baas.
Poetry Reading — Freeman Academy: Emberlyn Niemann; Gregory: Kodi Timanus.
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Readers Theatre — Freeman Academy: Ben Anderson, Tyler Brockmueller and Gabe Miller; Scotland: Makayla Friederich, Nora Winckler and Joslyn Walloch.
Serious Reading — Freeman Academy: Laura Ilunga.
Storytelling — Avon: Sarah Swier; Corsica-Stickney: Jacob Woerner; Freeman Academy: Alyssa Fink.
