Good morning! I'm David Murphy!
I'm Jenna Hansen!
And I'm Sarah Erdman! Welcome once again to the "Bear Facts". Happy New Year from all of us at Bishop Garrigan High School.
Most people wait around for "March Madness", but here at Garrigan, though, there's a bunch of reasons to have basketball fever in January. One of those reasons is our varsity boys, who have had a wonderful season so far. Over the holiday break they racked up big wins over Algona High and Hampton-Dumont, and last week they came within 2 points of beating the top team in Class 3-A, Humboldt. Starters on this year's team include senior Justin Fickbohm and juniors Aaron O'Kane, Scott Stence, Adam Arndorfer, and Brent Shillington. Backing up the starters are veteran seniors like Jeff and Joe Hellman, junior Grant Smith, and sophomores Derek Tindall, Matt Vitzthum, Mark Parrish, Matt Courtney, and Cole Vautier. Good luck to the Bears throughout the rest of the season!
The other reason for basketball madness is that it's intramural time again. This year seven teams are competing for the coveted intramural crown. Among the favorite's is Mark McGregor's team, which includes his football teammates Tony Hilbert, Mark Kohlhaas, Lee Elbert, Mark Steier, Jerry Kohlhaas, and Brian Marso, as well as John Stetzel. Miles Berte is captain of a team of junior athletes like Kris Sutter, Colby Reding, Mason Elbert, Josh Broesder, Jesse Bode, and John Kohlhaas. Another top team is likely to be Ben Geelen's. Ben's teammates include Jason Lallier, Alex Vaske, Tim McCleish, Zac Lickteig, Tyler Rahm, and Nick Golwitzer.
Keshar Nadkarni is captain of an intramural team made up of senior girls. Keshar's temates are Rachel Foth, Jill Johnson, Kim Frideres, Chelsie Wood, and Amanda Wolf. John Hanig is another team captain. Playing along with him are Andrew Kollasch, Zac McGuire, Stoney Wagner, Jimmy Syharath, and Andrew Thilges. Then there's Brandon Stone, whose teammates are Donnie Monson, Mitch Buscher, Jim Garman, and Billy
Vaske.
The final intramural team is made up entirely of freshmen, and it includes both boys and girls. Jesse Studer is the captain, and the rest of the team includes Melissa Hilbert, Tara Trenary, Jude Studer, Matt Kollasch, Courtney Mergen, Ashley Waller, John Reding, Joe Rahm, Monica Schiltz, and Eric Goodman. Intramural action begins tomorrow afternoon at 12:30, and it continues through the end of February. Good luck to all the intramural teams!
Speech season has begun. Coaches Mary McCall and David Burrow are busy preparing twelve different events for district contest. This year's one-act play is "The Last Touchy-Feely Drama on the American Stage", where a group of sportscasters give the play-by-play on a horrible stage production. The readers' theatres are "Sergeant Peter Best's Lonely Hearts Club" and "Barbie, Get Real", and the choral reading is the Dr. Seuss classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". There are three acting ensembles: "Sure Thing", "The Committee Meeting", and "The Cinderella Syndrome". Rounding things out are five different improvisation groups. District contest will be January 25 at Spencer, and we'll tell you more about all the actors and events on our upcoming shows.
Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Jerry Kohlhaas and Rachel Foth.
Jerry Kohlhaas comes to Garrigan from the St. Joe area. You probably know him best as one of the tough linemen on the Golden Bear football team. Jerry also enjoys intramural basketball, and he has been involved in track. His hard work in school has earned Jerry a place in the National Honor Society. He'll be off to college next fall, and we wish him all the best.
Rachel Foth's top activity is probably dance. She was part of the BGHS danz squad who qualified for nationals last month. Over the years Rachel's other activities have included speech, drama, and music. She'll also be a college girl next year. Good luck to both Rachel and Jerry!
On our Golden Bear calendar this week, there's girls basketball tonight at Iowa Falls. Tomorrow is the Dorian Music Festival in Decorah, and intramural basketball begins.
Next Tuesday the varsity Bears host Pocahontas. Then starting on Wednesday we'll have semester tests. It's a special schedule, and when we don't have tests everyone has open campus.
Also next Wednesday the junior class will enjoy Subway party subs as their reward for a job well done in last fall's magazine drive. That night the freshman basketball teams host Emmetsburg.
Thursday the seniors will have lunch at Godfather's as their first place prize from the magazine drive. Friday the varsity Bears host Iowa Falls, and then next Saturday the quiz bowl team plays at Eagle Grove.
Finally this week, we'd like to say farewell to Lynn Elbert, who is leaving the school after forty years hard work at Garrigan. We'd also like to welcome Beth Byrkeland, who is our new business manager.
That's the "Bear Facts" for this week. Thanks for listening, and be sure to join us again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.
