MONROE - Twenty-seven members of the Monroe High School Forensics team competed in the Wisconsin High School Forensics Association State Festival at University of Wisconsin-Madison on Friday, April 18. The state festival brings together the top forensics performances from around Wisconsin. Students were evaluated on a 25 point scale and were awarded medals based on the following scale of achievement: Gold: Critic's Choice (25 points), Silver: All State (23-24 points), Bronze: Finalist (20-21-22 points), Small Bronze: Achievement (19 points).

Monroe received 10 elite Critic's Choice awards for performances by Nick Hendrickson (oratory), Flannery Steffens (solo acting serious), Theresa Wyss (solo acting humorous), Elizabeth Eiseman (poetry), Matthew Peterson (poetry), Blake Antos (moments in history), Patrick Gellings (prose), Nicole Heinen (solo acting humorous), Carlee Latimer (farrago), and Gail LaVoie (farrago). These students earned gold medals for their perfect scores.

Silver medals were awarded to students earning scores of 23 or 24 points (All State): Julie Hartwig (moments in history), David Parr (extemporaneous), Reuben Arnold (extemporaneous), Stephanie Cline (farrago), Clarissa Liimatainen (moments in history), Taylor Weis (prose), Haley Sinklair (oratory), and the group of Katlyn Lee, Melissa Rufer, Coree Lee, and Laura Chopp (group interp).

Earning bronze medals were Elizabeth VanNatta (finalist), Jennifer Buol (finalist), Christina Mellenberger (finalist), Lindsey Buehler (finalist), Eleanor Nesimoglu (finalist), and Madeline Arnold (achievement). The team was coached by Holly Steger and Amy Hoppenjan.