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Hampton Today
By the People, for the People
Area students earn IHSSA all-state speech nominations
Local high school speech students recognized at the state level after weekend competition
Mar. 19, 2026 at 12:32am
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Several area high school students have been nominated for the Iowa High School Speech Association's Individual Speech All-State competition after strong performances at district contests held on March 14. Students from Belmond-Klemme, Dike-New Hartford, and Hampton-Dumont-CAL earned nominations in a variety of speech categories, including solo musical theatre, storytelling, acting, prose, literary program, expository address, and poetry.
Why it matters
The IHSSA All-State Speech Festival is a prestigious annual event that recognizes the top high school speech performers in the state. These nominations highlight the talent and dedication of local students, as well as the strength of the speech programs at their respective schools.
The details
The Iowa High School Speech Association announced the Individual Speech All-State nominees following district contests held on Saturday, March 14. From Belmond-Klemme, Eliz Fernandez was selected in solo musical theatre. Dike-New Hartford had two selections, with Grace Wood in storytelling and Olivia Klingenborg in acting. Hampton-Dumont-CAL is sending multiple nominees, including America Dominguez in prose, Anna Robles in both literary program and acting, Jovanny Camarillo in expository address, Marlee Maas and Sara Wahlen-Flores in poetry, and Nora Dunnwald in literary program.
- The district contests were held on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
- The 2026 Individual All-State Speech Festival is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2026 at the University of Northern Iowa.
The players
Eliz Fernandez
A student from Belmond-Klemme High School who was nominated in solo musical theatre.
Grace Wood
A student from Dike-New Hartford High School who was nominated in storytelling.
Olivia Klingenborg
A student from Dike-New Hartford High School who was nominated in acting.
America Dominguez
A student from Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School who was nominated in prose.
Anna Robles
A student from Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School who was nominated in both literary program and acting.
What’s next
The 2026 Individual All-State Speech Festival is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2026 at the University of Northern Iowa.
The takeaway
These nominations showcase the exceptional speech talent and strong speech programs at local high schools, highlighting the dedication and hard work of these students as they compete at the prestigious state-level competition.
