Two students going to All-State for individual speech

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

Ashlyn Bauer and Lily Woodard are going to All-State for individual speech on March 26.

Bauer is going for her poetry reading of “Part B” and Woodard is going in the improvisation category. They earned the nominations to perform at All-State through their performances at the state individual speech competition held Saturday in Arlington.

“State is tough,” wrote Charles City assistant speech coach Brenda Bailey in a message to the Press. “The creme de la creme come out on top.”

There were seven performances that earned a Division I rating at the state individual speech contest Saturday. Bauer and Woodward, Valerie Allison, Isaak Jensen and Ruby Peterson each earned one DI rating, and Mariah McKenzie earned two DI ratings.

“Our goal is to give them some choice in what they choose to perform and regardless of the end outcome, they have grown tremendously as performers and as individuals,” Bailey said.

This will be Woodard’s second time at All-State this year. In February, Woodard and her twin sister, Emily, went to the large group speech All-State for improv.

The All-State performances will be held at the University of Northern Iowa. Woodard will perform in the 1:30 to 2:30 session at the Berta Martin Theatre, and Bauer will perform in the 11:30 to 12:30 session at the Lang Hall Auditorium.

In addition, two Nasua-Plainfield students will perform at All-State. Tanner Streigel will perform in solo musical theater, and Levi Williamson will perform in improvisational acting.