Good afternoon and welcome to our weekly broadcast of St. Mary’s School News.  I am Jordon Anderson.  And I am Gina Hoesing.

            Last Wednesday, March 12th the freshman class planned the Mass.  The student council planned the Mass that was held on Monday, March 17th.  Guest vocalist Marvin Ziska sang Irish songs as a prelude to the special St. Patrick’s Day Mass.  The high school girls choir sang for both Masses.  The FBLA members hosted the social in the Parish Hall that followed the St. Patrick’s Day Mass.

            Tomorrow there will be a Lenten penance service from nine o’clock to twelve o’clock.

            Congratulations to Colin Campbell, a seventh grader at St. Mary’s, for qualifying for the State level of the National Geographic Bee.  Colin, son of Philip and Nancy Campbell of O’Neill, will participate in the State Geographic Bee at the University of Nebraska at Omaha on Friday, April fourth.  The winner will advance to the national competition in Washington D.C. in May.  Good luck, Colin!

            On Sunday, March 16th, there was a benefit held for Tiffany Vandersnick, a sixth grader at St. Mary’s Grade School.  There was round robin basketball tournament play between St. Mary’s, Clearwater, and Ewing junior high girls and boys.  The St. Mary’s junior high girls lost to Clearwater in their first game and then went on to defeat Ewing. The junior high boys defeated both Clearwater and Ewing in the same tournament.   There was also food, raffles, and basketball throughout the day.

            A school assembly for grades five through twelve was held at two o’clock today.  Radical Youth Invasion of Omaha came to motivate the SMH students to make right choices, including saying no to alcohol and drugs.

            The St. Mary’s journalism classes are selling some of the extra old yearbooks. Anyone interested in buying a yearbook dated from 1998 through 2002,  can contact Mrs. Troshynski for cost and availability information.

            The St. Mary’s High School speech team has been shining this season.  The speech team was named District champions last week.  Congratulations goes out to the speech team and all the individuals who placed in the district meet!  Christina Reynoldson placed third in serious prose and third in informative speaking; Serenity Butterfield placed fourth in humorous prose and fifth in informative speaking; Justin Kruse placed third in extemporaneous speaking; and Jordan Anderson placed fourth in persuasive speaking. Eight students not only paced at the District meet but they also won bids to compete at State Speech.   Matt McCarville placed second in persuasive speaking; Sarah Novak placed second in serious prose; Gina Hoesing placed second in extemporaneous speaking; Kylie Ludemann placed first in humorous prose; the team of Emily Dugan and Kathryn Fuchser placed first in duet acting; and the team of Jordon Anderson, Megan Davis, Emily Dugan, and Kathryn Fuchser placed first in oral interpretation of drama.  Matt, Sarah, Gina, Kylie, Emily, Kathryn, Jordon, and Megan qualified for the State Speech Meet   which will be held in Kearney this Friday, March 21st.  Congratualtions goes out to all of the speech team members.  And Good luck wishes are sent out to all the State qualifiers.

            The Future Business Leaders of America are planning a trip to Omaha on March twenty-sixth.  The FBLA members will get to meet Dan Hershiser, a 1980 St. Mary’s graduate and a SMH alumni benefactor.  Dan specializes in manufacturing alarms and will give the FBLA members a tour of his company, Continental Fire and Alarm.  

            In sports news, Dan Haggerty was named to the first team in All-Conference basketball.  Ryan Hickey and Mike Simons were named second team All-Conference.    And Jed Givens and Matt Willis were named Honorable Mention All-Conference.

            In spring athletics, the Cardinal boys’ track team is already getting heated up. With the first meet less than two weeks away the boys have been training and working hard. This year’s boys track team consists of seniors Lyle Berryman, Jed Givens, Dan Haggerty, Ryan Hickey, Kiel Neumann, Mike Simons, and Matt Willis.  Juniors are Aaron Jeffrey, Ryan Kelly, Kevin Ohri, Matt Schaaf, and Nick Welding.  Sophomore Justin Kruse and freshmen Jesse Reiman, Charles Shields, Tim Shoemaker, and Mitch Wecker finish out the team.

            The girls’ track team began spring practice on March tenth in preparation for their first meet on March twenty-ninth, the Spencer Early Bird.  Sixteen athletes are participating this season.  Seniors include Brooke Earley, Staci Givens, Theresa Conradt, and Christine Troshynski.  Juniors are Emily Walnofer, Kara Garman, and Kylie Ludemann.  Sophomores are Jacque Earley, Christina Reynoldson, Sarah Novak, and Brooke Lindhorst.  The five freshmen - Anne Kersenbrock, Liz Willis, Ashtin Soukup, Carol Koenig, and Katie Fletcher - round out the group.  The girls have been working hard and are ready for an exciting track season.

          This year St. Mary’s has five golfers on the OHS Eagle Golf Team.  The SMH golfers  include John Hurley, John McCarville, Marcus Zakrzewski, Nathan Eby, Jesse Peetz, and Tom Fletcher.  The boys’ first meet will be in Ainsworth on April third.

            We would like to thank our sponsors this week Torpins Rodeo Market and Pinnacle Bank of O’Neill.

            Be sure to tune in again next week at 3:10 for St. Mary’s School News. 

I am Gina Hoesing.  And I am Jordon Anderson.