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Niagara High School earns ‘Distinction in Speech Award’

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Niagara High School earned the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association’s “Distinction in Speech Award” at the 2025 WISDAA State Speech Festival in Madison, Wis. Members of the team include, from left, front row: Marley Jones, Brooke Bruemmer, Justine Geldmeyer, Annalee White, Cheyenne St. John, Elesia Sweig, Grace Payette, Zowie Loukus, Ina Holt, Anna Wakefield, Brooke Walters, and Hazel Hongisto; second row: Peyton Neuens-Allred, Mallory Sanicki, Lexi Johnston, Sydney Swanson, Jaylynn Kichura, Addison Wheeler, Bella Ochs, Sophia Granquist, Lexi Champagne, Lydia Beard, Nia Kinder, Logan Westrich, Abain Patterson, Gavin Neuens, and Alex Tripp; back row: Bristol Sanicki, Rachael Walker, Alyssa Hedmark, Alivia Kleikamp, Sienna LaRock, Reid Schroeder, Cameron Schiefelbein, Owen Dunkes, Dante Stachowicz, Tommy Martin, Christian Anderson, Brayden Bartels, Wyatt Dunkes, Kyle Kay, Logan Champagne, Noah Wheeler, and Kaden Courts. Not pictured: Parker DeCremer, Emma Kowalkowski, Layla Pringle, and Emma Boverhuis. 

NIAGARA, Wis. -- Niagara High School earned the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association's "Distinction in Speech Award" at the 2025 WISDAA State Speech Festival in Madison, Wis. NHS received recognition for its overall performance by ranking among the top 10% of medal-earning teams. This marks the third consecutive year that NHS has received this recognition. Founded in 1895, the WISDAA is one of the country's oldest interscholastic secondary school activities organizations of its kind. 

WISDAA provides programming for high school students in theatre, film, debate, and public speaking activities. From February through mid-April, about 6,000 students participate in the speech festival series. Of that number, approximately 4,500 students from 340+ schools participate in 16 different categories -- ranging from original speeches to performance of literature -- at the State Speech Festival, held on the UW-Madison campus in April.  

"It has been a challenging time for schools to recruit students for interscholastic academic sports like Speech. As an association affiliated with the NFHS, we are aware that participation numbers among schools are lower across the country and in Wisconsin," WISDAA Executive Director Adam Jacobi said.

This is not the case for Niagara High School, as participation numbers have increased to 48 members this year. An impressive feat considering the total NHS student body consists of approximately 129 students in grades 9-12.The mission of NHS forensics is to provide a program that fosters teamwork and communication skills.

The NHS public-speaking team and their advisor, Ginger Anderson, would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Niagara Area Business Association and Uptown Lanes and Lounge for their generous support of the program.

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