The Bear Facts
October 27, 2012
Good morning! I’m Zach Kollasch!
I’m Sophie Behr!
And I’m Tony Kollasch! Thanks for joining us again for the “Bear Facts”, the radio show where each week we keep you in touch with all the news from Bishop Garrigan High School.
Today, for the second time in two years, the Golden Bear girls’ cross-country team is running at the state meet. Garrigan finished third in the state-qualifying meet last Monday at Holstein, and three different Golden Bear runners were among the top ten and also qualified individually. Senior Erin Reedy and juniors Nicole Behr and Erin Quinlin will be leading the team today. Others running at state include Emily Riesenberg, Erica Carlson, Morgan Frideres, and Courtney Carlson. Kelly Rowley and Kelsey Hovey will be alternates for the Bears.
The state cross-country meet is held at Kennedy Park, just north of Ft. Dodge. The Class 1-A girls race will be at 2:00 this afternoon. Local fans may want to get down early, so they can watch the 3-A race at noon, which includes Algona High’s Tangy Wiseman. Admission to the race is free, but there is a charge of $10 per vehicle for parking. Good luck to all our Golden Bear runners and to Coaches Greg Ahlers and Daryl Kohlhaas!
Also in Fort Dodge today is the regional swim meet. All through the fall five Garrigan girls have been part of the Algona swim team: Erica Carlson, Jordan Steburg, Sophia Kaduce, Emma Plathe, and Kendra Roethler. They’ll be competing at regionals against West Des Moines, Sioux City, Boone, Perry, Storm Lake, Spencer, and Waukee. We wish good luck to them and to all their teammates today.
The Golden Bear football team wrapped up their season this past week. Last Friday the Bears had one of their best games of the season, as they cruised past Lake Mills 41 – 7. That win, combined with a loss by Ackley—Geneva—Wellsburg—Steamboat Rock, was enough to push Garrigan into the playoffs.
Unfortunately their playoff match-up was against one of the top teams in the state, West Lyon. The Bears got off to a slow start, and while they improved through the game, they ended up on the short end of a 41 – 19 score. There were some great moments, though—including a great ending with a fumble recovery by Ben Vaske that led to a score, followed by an unplanned but perfectly executed onside kick by Charlie Thilges. It’s never good to see the season end, but we congratulate our Golden Bears on another successful year.
The drought is over—at least for Garrigan’s choir program. It’s been several years since Garrigan had an all-state selection, but this year two members of the BGHS choir received the highest honor in music. Bass vocalists Shawn Vaske and Jakob Hamilton were both selected to the All-State Choir. In addition three other Garrigan students—Dorothy Kirsch, Christian Matthews, and Dustin Miller—received call-backs for their all-state auditions.
The All-State Music Festival will be the weekend before Thanksgiving at Iowa State University, with the concert at 7:30 Saturday night, November 17. Admission is $18, and tickets are available on Ticketmaster. If you can’t make it down to Ames for the concert you can see it broadcast on Iowa Public Television Thanksgiving weekend. Congratulations to Jake and Shawn, and to choir director Linda Ferjak.
Last Saturday, for the second time in two weeks, the Golden Bears made it to the final four in a major regional quiz bowl tournament. The team of Tony Kollasch, Zach Kollasch, Levi Bernhard, Hannah Bernhard, and Gaby Steil ended up in 3rd place overall in the Ankeny Scholastic Bowl. The Bears beat Algona High, Boone, Ankeny, and Urbandale, while the only school they lost to was Ames High. The quiz bowl team is off this weekend, but they’ll be back in action next Saturday at Algona High.
The curtain opens on this fall’s Bishop Garirgan musical next Friday and Saturday. This year we’re presenting the classic chow The Music Man in honor of that show’s fiftieth anniversary. Shawn Vaske and Erin Quinlin star as Professor Harold Hill and Marian the Librarian, and more than forty members of the BGHS choir will round out the cast. Tickets are just $5, and reservations are available by calling the school during business hours or e-mailing Mary McCall. Best wishes to everyone involved in The Music Man. Break a leg, everybody!
Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Erin Reedy and Erica Carlson. Here to tell you about them is Sydney McNertney.
Erin Reedy has one of the longest commutes of all our students, because she comes to Garrigan from the north side of Emmetsburg. “Speedy Reedy” has shattered all the girls cross-country records at Garrigan, and she’ll be running again at state today. Erin also runs distance events in track, and she’s in the National Honor Society and Christian Leadership. You’ve probably also heard her announcing here on the “Bear Facts”. She wants to study to be a dental hygienist in the future, and we wish her all the best of luck.
Erica Carlson has two big events today—the state cross-country meet and the regional swim meet down in Ft. Dodge. Erica is a National Honor Society member, she enjoys both individual and large-group speech, and she’s part of the Christian Leadership in Action group. Erica will be off to college next year. Best wishes to both Erica and Erin!
Thanks, Sydney! On our Golden Bear calendar, there’s state cross-country today in Ft. Dodge. The Golden Bear girls run at 2pm at Kennedy Park. Also today is the regional swim meet.
Tomorrow some Christian Leadership students will attend the diocesan Catholic Youth Rally in Sioux City. Monday the annual magazine drive begins, and Thursday we’ll have a special mass for All Saints Day.
Next Friday is opening night for the The Music Man. Saturday there’s quiz bowl at Algona High, math team at Waverly, and the state solo dance contest in Newton.
That’s the “Bear Facts” for October. Happy Halloween, everyone, and be sure to join us again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School!
