The Bear Facts
February 1, 2020

Good morning! I’m Meredith Tigges!

I’m Abbi Heying!

And I’m Reese Rosenmeyer! This is the “Bear Facts”, the radio show where each week we bring you all the news from Bishop Garrigan High School.

Last Saturday Garrigan had five events entered in the district large group speech contest at Ft. Dodge Senior High. While it was hard to get rehearsals in with all the snow days, in the end the groups pulled things together, and we managed to earn four Division I or excellent ratings. All of the groups that earned I’s will now advance to the state contest next Saturday in LeMars.

Among those earning I’s was the one-act play A Mad Breakfast, with a cast including Jordan Hansen, Kelle Bormann, Joey Trainer, Maggie Vaske, Noah Bronk, Garrett Heying, Riley Rosenmeyer, Eva Snyder, and Amanda Miller. The acting ensemble “The Committee Meeting” with Reese Rosenmeyer, Bailey Meister, Riley Rosenmeyer, Anna Berke, and Gracie Elsbecker also received top marks, as did an improvisation group with Noah Bronk, Joey Trainer, Marguerite Fakler, Mya Kemna, and Ava Eisenbarth.

Garrigan’s other Division I rating came in Reader’s Theatre, with a selection called A Guide to the Teenage Zone. The show featured Meredith Tigges, Maddie Meister, Jenna Heinen, Katie Noonan, Abbi Heyng, and Katie McIntire; as well as Ella Nelson, Ava Bartolo, Tara Kron, Lillee Deike, Amanda Thilges, Ava Eisenbarth, Emily Lappe, Katelyn Cink, and Marguerite Fakler. The other Garrigan entry, a choral reading, received a “good” rating from their judge.

For nearly a decade now the Golden Bear quiz bowl team has sponsored an annual community quiz bowl tournament. This year’s community quiz bowl is just a month away. It’s scheduled for Friday, March 6. Teams of all ages are welcome to participate in this friendly competition. The entry fee is $20 per team, with the proceeds going to help with the costs of the team’s trip to nationals this summer.

I, Abbi Heying, am the main organizer for the 2020 community quiz bowl. If you’re interested in entering, you can contact her at 712-260-9805 or by e-mailing A – B – B – I – H – E – Y – I – N – G @ gmail.com. You can also download an entry form on the Garrigan student website at bggoldenbears.org. Get your team together and have fun competing in the 2020 community quiz bowl.

Last Friday was a very big day for the Golden Bear boys basketball team. In addition to getting a win over Eagle Grove, Friday marked a milestone for two of the Bears’ top players. Early in the game senior Cade Winkel sunk a free throw to score his 1,000^th career point, and shortly after that his brother junior Angelo Winkel made a lay-up for his 1000^th point.

It’s unusual for any high school athlete to score a thousand points. In fact only a handful of Golden Bears have reached that milestone in the sixty-year history of the school. We don’t know of any time in any school when two brothers reached a thousand points on the same night. Congratulations to Cade and Angelo. We hope they’ll score many more points in the future.

Another Garrigan athlete officially signed a college commitment this past week. Alex Mammen has played football and baseball for the Golden Bears, and he’s also been a quiz bowl captain. This past week, though, he signed to be a college thrower on the Briar Cliff track team. Alex also has a big academic scholarship at Briar Cliff, and we know he’ll be an asset to that school.

This past week the Diocese of Sioux City announced that the official blessing to open Garrigan’s new chapel will take place on Friday, February 21. Bishop Nickless will be in Algona that day for the event. The new chapel is largely complete, with only finishing touches to go. It combines a modern architectural design with timeless features from the old St. Benedict Church. Mark your calendar, and be on hand for the chapel dedication at 1pm on February 21.

Next Wednesday and Thursday the Class of 2020 will have their senior retreat. The retreat is in a new location this year, in Storm Lake instead of Cedar Falls. The seniors will spend two days learning about their faith and about how to live as mature adults. Religion teacher Rob Meister will be escorting the seniors on their retreat.

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Cameron Baade. Cameron has played basketball ever since he was little, and he’s now a three-point specialist for the Golden Bear varsity team who’s hoping for another trip to state as a senior. Cameron played multiple positions in football last fall, and he’s also on the Golden Bear golf team. We wish Cameron all the best when he graduates this spring.

On this week’s Golden Bear calendar, tonight is the big winter formal. The event begins at 8:00 this evening. Then on Monday the early childhood section at Seton will have an open house. Monday night some of the seniors will participate in their first precinct caucuses.

The JJV boys basketball team will play at Forest City Monday night. Tuesday the Golden Bear girls and boys host Forest City in a basketball quad. Then Wednesday the seniors leave for their retreat in Storm Lake.

Next Friday there’s another basketball quad, with the Bears taking on West Hancock in Britt. Then next Saturday there’s the state large group speech contest in LeMars.

Finally this week we want to congratulate Garrigan English teacher Ashley Meyer and her husband Chad. This past week they welcomed a new addition to their family, 7 pound, 1 ounce Jett William Meyer. We wish Mrs. Meyer and her whole family all the best.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for another week. Thanks for tuning in, and be sure to join us again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.