Keota Readers Theatre Performs at State Festival

Five Keota seniors earn rare five-time All-State nomination

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Keota Large Group Speech Team performed its Readers Theatre piece, 'How Angel Peterson Got His Name,' at the Large Group Speech All-State festival at Iowa State University. Keota was one of only 12 Readers Theatre performances selected to perform at the festival from across the state, after receiving a superior 1 rating at the regional competition.

Why it matters

Performing at the prestigious All-State festival is a major achievement for the Keota speech team, showcasing their exceptional talent and dedication. Additionally, five Keota seniors earning five-time All-State nominations throughout their high school careers is an exceedingly rare accomplishment.

The details

Keota's Readers Theatre piece, 'How Angel Peterson Got His Name,' was selected to perform at the All-State festival after the team received a superior 1 rating from all three judges at the regional competition held at Clear Creek Amana High School on February 7th. The Keota Large Group Speech Team is coached by Michael McNurlen, with assistance from Gina Bennett and Levi Lyle.

  • The Keota Large Group Speech Team performed at the Large Group Speech All-State festival at Iowa State University.
  • Keota received a 1 rating from all three judges for its performance at the regional competition at Clear Creek Amana High School on February 7th.

The players

Keota Large Group Speech Team

A high school speech team from Keota, Iowa that performed at the Large Group Speech All-State festival.

Michael McNurlen

The coach of the Keota Large Group Speech Team.

Gina Bennett

An assistant coach for the Keota Large Group Speech Team.

Levi Lyle

An assistant coach for the Keota Large Group Speech Team.

Luke Moeller, Gavin Sieren, Jake Morris, Chase Haifley, and Jackson Vittetoe

Five Keota seniors who were nominated for All-State performances five times throughout their high school careers.

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The takeaway

The Keota Large Group Speech Team's selection to perform at the prestigious All-State festival, as well as the five-time All-State nominations earned by several of its senior members, demonstrate the exceptional talent and dedication of this high school speech program.