BOONE, Iowa—The Boone High School speech team traveled to Nevada High School on Saturday, March 10th to compete at the State Individual Speech Contest. Eleven of seventeen performances earned the highest rating (1). Six of Boone’s performances earned straight 1 ratings from all three judges. One student earned the honor of attending All-State at the UNI campus on Monday, March 26th.

Three judges evaluated each performance, awarding students a rating on a scale of 1-4 as well as offering a written critique so students can continue to grow as performers.

Freshman student Carlee Carpenter earned straight 1’s in both of her events:

• Solo Musical Theatre with  her piece “Take Me or Leave Me” from RENT and Storytelling with “Love You Forever.”

Additional students earning straight 1’s in their events include

• Lacoda Collier in Improvisational Acting,
• Levi Peterson in Radio News Broadcasting,
• Grayson Boggess in After-Dinner Speaking with his piece “Snapchaddicts,” and
• Frorence Mtimukeye in Original Oratory with “Flee. Flew. Flown.”

Earning an All-State nomination is Lacoda Collier in Improvisational Acting. He will travel to UNI and participate in Opening Ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, March 26th at the McLeod Center before performing among his peers from across the state at 11:30 a.m..

Other BHS students who garnered at least two 1 ratings from judges also earned an overall 1 rating. These students include:

• Katelyn Mehlhaus in Solo Musical Theatre with “Diva’s Lament: Whatever Happened to My Part” from Monty Python’s Spamalot,
• Catherine Pollard with a Review of American Street,
• Akela Salter in Poetry with “A Touch of Sexual Assault,” and
• Brian Bingaman in both Improvisational Acting and Spontaneous Speaking.

Also competing at State and each earning at least one 1 rating but a 2 overall rating included

• Spencer Toms in Radio Broadcasting,
• Danielle Lozier in Prose Interpretation,
• Amber Lozier in Prose Interpretation,
• Lacoda Collier in Storytelling,
• Alaney Parker in Acting, and
• Alyssa Kastenschmidt in Spontaneous Speaking.

(contributed article, BHS Speech)