The Bear Facts

January 7, 2017


Good morning!  I’m Lexi Berte!

I’m Megan Wadle!

And I’m Miranda Book!  Thanks for tuning in to the “Bear Facts”.  Happy New Year from everyone here at Bishop Garrigan High School.

The Golden Bear math team will be competing today.  This tournament was re-scheduled from the weekend before Christmas, when a snowstorm got in the way.  Competing for the bears today are seniors Josh Hamilton, Danielle Plathe, Logan Capesius, Ben Fogarty, and Andrew Thilges;  junior Caitlin Thilges; sophomores Gabe Trainer and John Meis; and freshmen Aubree Altman and Emma Fogarty.  Good luck to Coach David Burrow and the math team!

This is also honor band season.  Today two Garrigan sophomores are down in Fort Dodge for the North Central Iowa Bandmasters Association honor band.  Logan Heying is being honored for his skills on the tuba, and Sami Darling was selected to the honor band on the French horn.  Congratulations to them, and to band director Ken Ferjak.

Speech season is here.  This year directors Jake Rosenmeyer and David Burrow are busy working with five large group events.  In Choral Reading the Bears will be presenting an arrangement of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, with Alisa Altman, Kat Willie, Gigi Byrkeland, John Zeimet, Megan Wadle, Johanna Becker, and Jenna Boelter in the cast—as well as John Meis, Madison Illg, Bryce Capesius, Layah DeLange, Emma Thul, and Emory Miller.

Another speech event is Readers Theatre, where Bishop Garrigan is presenting “The Brothers Grimm:  Out of Order”.  Cast members include Sam Trainer, Ashlyn Harrington, Sam Vaske, Gabe Trainer, Gigi Byrkeland, Bryce, Capesius, and Lauren Degen; plus Lauren Kenyon, Caroline Bradley, Sam Harrington, Jordan Hansen, John Zeimet, Megan Bronk, Logan Heying, and Tommy Kollasch.

In Musical Theatre we’ll be presenting a medley from “Beauty and the Beast” featuring Isabelle Davis, Levi Capesiius, Caitlin Thilges, Sam Vaske, Gabe Trainer, Aidan Koob, and Sam Trainer.  Levi Capesius and Caitlin Thilges are starring in an Ensemble Acting Selection called “In the Principal’s Office”, and Layah DeLange, Emma Thul, and Megan Bronk plan to compete in Radio Broadcasting.  District contest is two weeks from today, January 21, in Manson.

 Last month the Golden Bear danz squad won two state championships for their pom and kick routines, the fourth straight year they’ve taken first place in both events.  Coach Colleen Conway-Schiltz announced that the team will be making another trip to nationals.  They’ll be heading down to Orlando in March for the NDA national championships.  We’ll have more information when the event gets closer.

Intramural basketball begins tomorrow.  This year four large teams will be playing a double round-robin that will last from now until March.  The team that’s probably the favorite this year is captained by Ben Fogarty and features eight senior boys.  Besides Ben they include Donovan Berte, Logan Capesius, Nick Mergen, Mark Mather, Gibson Behr, Brandon Berte, and Andrew Thilges.

Another team is made up of sophomores and juniors and includes Ben Degen, Zach Muller, Billy Erpelding, Eric Thul, Frank Reding, Will Fox, John Zeimet, Myles Koob, and Aidan Koob.  The other intramural captains are Courtney Kirsch and Caroline Bradley.  We’ll feature their teams on an upcoming show.  Intramural games are played Sunday nights in Friedmann Auditorium.

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Alex Lichter.  Here to tell you about him is Caitlin Thilges.

Alex Lichter is a laid back guy who serves as one of the student council representatives for the BGHS Class of 2017.  Among the classes he enjoys are various art, science, and technology classes.  Besides student council, his activities have included trap shooting, and he’s also helped out with maintaining the student website.  We wish Alex all the best after high school.

Thanks, Caitlin.  On our Golden Bear calendar this week, there’s a math competition this morning at Garrigan and also honor band in Ft. Dodge, and the Garrigan students who wrestle for Algona High have a meet in Forest City.

Tomorrow intramural basketball begins.  Monday night there’s basketball, with the Bears hosting Humboldt.  Then on Tuesday the basketball teams travel to Belmond, and wrestling at Okoboji.

Semester tests will be next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  There’s a special schedule those days, and we’ll have open campus when we don’t have tests.

There’s more basketball on Thursday, with the Bears taking on North Union.  Finally next Saturday there’s another honor band, as well as wrestling at Ankeny.

That’s our very first “Bear Facts” for 2017.  Thanks for joining us, and be sure to check back again next week when we’ll have more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.