Pella and Pella Christian High School individual speech students will come together and compete at the state competition this Saturday at Pella High School.

Pella Community teams 34 entries advanced to state with Division I ratings, while Pella Christian had 15 events receive I’s at the district competition.

The Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) had over 40,000 students participate at the District level.

Pella students earning Division I scores included:
Ella Van Zee (Storytelling, Poetry)
Will Rasmussen (Radio, Spontaneous Speaking)
Maggie Leach (Prose, After Dinner Speaking)
Ryan Sales (Prose, After Dinner Speaking)
Connor Gauley (Improv, After Dinner Speaking)
Maylei Ruggles (Public Address)
Zane McSheehy (Radio)
Stephen Gaul (Radio)
Sami Clark (Review)
Grant Anderson (Prose)
Josephine McDonald (Improv)
Grant Anderson (Improv)
Cael Roberts (Spontaneous Speaking)
Anna Nikkel (Spontaneous Speaking)
Alloree Else (Spontaneous Speaking)
Addison Hartwick (Original Oratory)
Tess Hopkins (Literary Program)
Faith Vandeburg (Literary Program)
Taryn Peffers (Literary Program)
Abbel Beal (Literary Program)
Lily Lovell (Literary Program)
Jacob Byers (Storytelling)
Aleigha Ausman (Storytelling)
Josephine McDonald (Poetry)
Maria Pronina (Poetry)
Travis Mitchell (Musical Theatre)
Hannah Tschetter (Musical Theatre)
Meridith Rowe (Musical Theatre)
Braylon Ensor (Acting)

PCHS students earning the I’s at the District event include: Trent Van Gilst (Lit Program and Storytelling), Piper King (Acting and Prose), Kaylee Bandstra (Review), Marie Johnson (Lit Program), Nia Hoekstra (After Dinner), Leah Osborn (Lit Program), Avery Verhoef (Original Oratory and Prose), Laurey Johnson (Prose and Storytelling), Bridget Vande Zande (Storytelling and Poetry) and Abby Dart (Poetry).