The Bear Facts
February 8, 2025


Good morning! I’m Tate Foertsch!

I’m Sacha Alesch!

And I’m CCCCC! Thanks for tuning in to the “Bear Facts”, the radio show where each week we bring you the news from Bishop Garrigan High School.

There’s a lot of big activities happening today. First, there’s the state dual wrestling championships, which are taking place at the Xtream Arena in Coralville. All three of Garrigan’s varsity wrestlers—junior Carter McGregor, and freshmen Teague Alesch and C.J. McGregor—won their regional matches and helped the Algona team move on to state. Carter and C.J. pinned their opponents, while Teague won by major decision. Good luck to them and to all the Algona wrestlers down at state.

Also today the Bishop Garrigan swim team will compete in their first-ever post-season tournament. While the swimmers have suffered a lot of illness recently, they’re hoping things go well at regionals over in Mason City. Sophomores Matt Besch, Aidan Deitering, Sawyer Herrick, Aiden Lichter, Dalton Klenz, Eli Casey, and Leo Snyder all swim for the Bears, as do Algona High students Axel Mortenson, Colin Roberts, Cadyn Samp, and Owen Doocy. Good luck at regionals, swimmers!



Today’s other big event is the state large-group speech contest. Six Garrigan students are over in Spencer for the event. This morning seniors Thadd Kollasch and Brady Galligan and junior Tate Foertsch will compete in Radio Broadcasting with a sports update that previews the Superbowl. Then in the afternoon senior Scott Bormann, sophomore Shiloh Trainer, and freshman Madelyn Tigges are entered in Group Improvisation. Best wishes to all the state speech competitors. Break a leg, everyone!

Next Tuesday six Garrigan seniors will be heading to Mississippi for an annual mission trip. The Mississippi service project was started about a decade ago by Jake Rosenmeyer, who then taught religion at Garrigan. Students will be gone about a week helping out at missions Garrigan supports in the towns of Morton and Okolona. Going on the trip are Isabella Waechter, Isaac DeLange, Spencer Doerning, Alaina Bormann, and Hanna Merron. They’ll be accompanied by Fr. Zach Jones, Miss Antonia Rupert, and Miss Ashlyn Harrington.

Next Monday the Garrigan jazz choir will be competing in their state contest in Clear Lake. This year’s jazz choir includes Rose Curtis, Addy Laubenthal, Drew Muller, Kyle Bormann, and Cora Deardeuff; plus Lilly Wickman, Gabe Swift, Tate Foertsch, Sacha Alesch, and Amaury Thomas. Also in jazz choir are Alice Casey, Kylie Capesius, Matt Besch, Shiloh Trainer, Madelyn Tigges, Aidan Deitering, Kayden Graves, and Eva Kohlhass. Good luck, jazz choir!

This past week the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced their basketball playoff brackets. Bishop Garrigan got the top seed in Class 1-A region 4. The girls have a bye in Round 1, and in Round 2 on February 18 they’ll face either North Iowa or Graettinger—Terril—Ruthven—Ayrshire. Likely opponents later in regionals are Harris—Lake Park and St. Ansgar. Good luck all through playoffs, girls basketball!


The Golden Bear quiz bowl team will be back in action next Wednesday. They’ll be competing in the Knowledge Master, an online contest that features top teams from all over the country. The contest features trivia from a wide range of fields. Good luck in the Knowledge Master, quiz bowl!

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Isaac DeLange. Here to tell you about him is Isabella Waechter.

Isaac DeLange is one of the seniors who will be heading to Mississippi for a mission trip this coming week. He’s done a lot of service work, including being commissioned as a Eucharistic minister. During the school day he challenges himself with college classes like Calculus, Psychology, and the new drone piloting program. Isaac’s main sport is football, where he was all over the field on special teams. He’s also in band, and over the years he’s been in drama productions, speech, and track. We wish Isaac all the best after graduation.

Thanks, DDDDD. On our Golden Bear calendar, there’s state large-group speech contest in Spencer today. There’s also state dual wrestling in Coralville, and the swim team has regionals over in Mason City.

Also today there’s a sixth grade basketall tournament happening at Bishop Garrigan. Then on Monday there’s state jazz choir at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

Tuesday the mission trip leaves for Mississippi. That night the Golden Bear basketball teams finish their regular season by hosting North Iowa. It will be senior night and firefighter appreciation night, and there will be a pasta meal to support after-prom.

We’ll have mass next Wednesday morning. After school the quiz bowl team will compete in the Knowledge Master. Friday will be an out of uniform day to buy items for the Gala chest of chance.

The boys state swim meet starts on Friday in Iowa City, and boys district basketball also begins that night. Finally next Saturday there’s district team wrestling in Sioux Center.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for this week. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to catch the show next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.