SPHS's speech team got its 2019 season off to a rousing start as an abbreviated version of the team traveled to Worthington this past Saturday and placed third overall.

Placewinners for the Saints at Worthington included:

Creative: Torin Harbo blue ribbon
Duo: Julia and David Marlow 3rd place
Ex Reading: Paige Meyer 6th place
Humor: Josh Ellerbeck 1st place
Original Oratory : Vanessa Krueger 2nd place and Eva Kracht 1st place
Poetry: Sky Gassman 6th place and Aubry Landsom 3rd place
Storytelling: Mckenzie McCann 3rd place and Liliana Hughes red ribbon.

The Saints were without several key team members for this meet as they were participating in the Section 2A One Act Play Contest. Luverne won the team sweepstakes with 82 points while Murray County Central 72, St. Peter 62, Windom Area 58, and Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 57 rounded out the top five.

"Our team was small but mighty at Worthington," SPHS coach Ericka Gustafson said. "I'm excited to see how we do with our full team this coming weekend (at Mankato Loyola)."

Saints are one of eight teams vying for a berth at Class A state tournament

A state tournament berth will be on the line tomorrow (Saturday) as Saint Peter High School hosts the Section 2A One Act Play Contest at the Performing Arts Center starting with the morning session at 10 a.m. There will be a lunch break from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. and the afternoon session will begin at 2 p.m., with St. Peter performing at 2:50 p.m.

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students. Just a reminder that SPHS activities passes are NOT accepted for admission.

The first place winner of the Section 2A contest advances to the Minnesota State Class A One Act Play Festival on Thursday, Feb. 7, at The O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Catherine University in St. Paul.

St. Peter will be one of the eight schools competing at the Section 2A contest along with Belle Plaine, Mankato Loyola, Maple River, Martin County West, Mountain Lake, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, and Tri-City United.

St. Peter’s production of “The Girl in the Mirror” took top honors at the Sub-Section 7 contest on Jan. 26 at Madelia.

“The Girl in the Mirror” was written by Bruce Jacoby and produced by Dramatic Publishing, Inc. It is co-directed by Amanda Pogatschnik and Jason Toupence and includes a cast of 17 students (grades 9-12) along with two crew members.

Cast & Crew
Susan Connors - Aurora Severson
Mother - Katie Engeldinger
Doctor - Kyle Fogal
Speaker - Lauren Mayer
Father - Isaac Peterson
Mrs. Douglas - Gloria Toupence
Scotty - Bry Harroun
Extra - Claire Dimock
Extra - Rosie Hernandez
Extra - Marina Sawyer
Extra - Noah Faulstich
Extra - David Doherty-Bohn
Extra - Chandra O’Brien
Bryan - Kaiden Burmeister
Samantha - Sophia Lee
Dr. Allen - Matthew Springer
Dr. Richards - Isaac Sawyer
Crew - Ethan Niemeyer, Jack Leonard

The 2019 SPHS One Act Play cast and crew includes: front row (l to r), Gloria Toupence, Claire Dimock, Marina Sawyer, Bry Harroun, David Doherty-Bohn; middle row, Jack Leonard, Noah Faulstich, Katie Engeldinger, Aurora Severson, Lauren Mayer, Kyle Fogal, Ethan Niemeyer; back row, Rosie Hernandez, Chandra O’Brien, Isaac Peterson, Isaac Sawyer, Kaiden Burmeister, Matthew Springer, and Sophia Lee.

St. Peter High School’s drama department is busy with rehearsals for this year’s Section 2A, Sub-Section 7 One-Act Play contest, set for Saturday, Jan. 26, at Madelia High School. The Saints are scheduled to perform at around 11:50 a.m. that day.

This year’s one-act play is “The Girl in the Mirror”, written by Bruce Jacoby and produced by Dramatic Publishing, Inc. It is co-directed by Amanda Pogatschnik and Jason Toupence and includes a cast of 17 students (grades 9-12) along with two crew members.

According to Dramatic Publishing’s website: “Seventeen-year-old Susan lies in a coma. Her doctor says, ‘Whether she lives or dies now is a matter of her own will.’ What goes on in Susan's mind is the play, which invites the audience to deduce Susan's decision regarding life or death. Thoroughly researched, this play is both an enthralling theatrical event and the basis for a useful exploration of a tragic problem.”

The cast and crew will put on a free public performance 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, in the St. Peter High School Performing Arts Center (PAC). Before that, the students will also a chance to perform with three other Big South Conference schools (Jackson County Central, St. James, and New Ulm) on Monday, Jan. 21, here at the PAC.

Teams competing in the Section 2A, Sub-Section 7 contest includes St. Peter, Cleveland, Madelia, Mankato Loyola, Nicollet, and St. Clair. The top two teams at the Sub-Section 7 contest advance to the Section 2A Contest, set for Saturday, Feb. 2, here at Saint Peter High School. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students.

The Saints won the Sub-Section 7 title last year and ended up placing fourth at the Section 2A meet.

Cast & Crew
Susan Connors - Aurora Severson
Mother - Katie Engeldinger
Doctor - Kyle Fogal
Speaker - Lauren Mayer
Father - Isaac Peterson
Mrs. Douglas - Gloria Toupence
Scotty - Bry Harroun
Extra - Claire Dimock
Extra - Rosie Hernandez
Extra - Marina Sawyer
Extra - Noah Faulstich
Extra - David Doherty-Bohn
Extra - Chandra O’Brien
Bryan - Kaiden Burmeister
Samantha - Sophia Lee
Dr. Allen - Matthew Springer
Dr. Richards - Isaac Sawyer
Crew - Ethan Niemeyer, Jack Leonard

The Minnesota River Boys and Girls Hockey teams will host a Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Friday, Jan. 18 when the teams take on Big South Conference rival Windom at the Le Sueur Community Center. Game time for the Girls is 5:30 p.m. with the Boys game immediately following. This event is in conjunction with Youth Hockey Night. All youth players wearing their Bulldog jersey and accompanied by a paying adult get in free. Boys Varsity players will be available after the game to sign autographs. 

The night will be dedicated to supporting the fight against cancer in numerous ways:  

• Players on both teams will use lavender-colored hockey tape and have Hockey Fights Cancer decals on their helmets. Lavender is the color designated by the American Cancer Society to support all types of cancer.
  Hockey Fights Cancer "I Fight For" cards will be displayed as a Wall of Hope in the hallway outside the rink. Fans can purchase their own "I Fight For" cards for $1.00 each. 
• There will be two Split-the-Pot raffles - one during each game.
• A Walking Taco Meal Deal will be offered for $5.00
• Hockey Fights Cancer/Minnesota River Bulldog T-Shirts will be available for $20.00 each. 

This is the first year youth hockey teams have been invited to join forces with the NHL for Hockey Fights Cancer, an initiative to raise money and awareness for hockey's most important fight. All funds raised will go to the American Cancer Society to support patient services such as the ACS Hope Lodge and Road to Recovery programs.