Advertisement Percussionist John James Pearse of Aquinas, who has played marimba with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, and Logan cellist Maxfield Wollam-Fisher will major in music at Indiana.
Pearse has won awards and competitions and has been se-lected to all-state bands and orchestras. He received the outstanding marimba solo award and was named best soloist within an ensemble at the 2004 Nashville Music Festival. He was one of 75 musicians in the country chosen to perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall as a member of the 2005 National Wind Ensemble.
Wollam-Fisher has studied with Peter Howard, former principal cellist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and was member of the Minnesota Youth Symphony and Artaria Chamber Music Academy.
Nick Seiler tops a list of finalists in the National Association of Teacher in Singing state auditions from La Crosse Central. Seiler, who also plays violin, won the NATS high school boys musical theater division and also was named best soloist twice at show choir competitions. He plans to major in music performance at the University of Northern Iowa.
Will Leonard and Aliyah Richling, two NATS finalists from La Crosse Central, have been members of state honors choirs. Leonard will major in musical theater and biology at Viterbo University, while Richling will major in music education at Luther College.
La Crosse Central’s Ellen Hindson plans to study oboe at the University of Minnesota. She has studied with Mary Beth Hensel, oboist with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Two outstanding La Crosse senior musicians will be attending Lawrence University — La Crosse Logan’s Kyle Brauer, who sings, dances and plays French horn, and Laura Streyle, a La Crosse Central violinist and a member of the all-state orchestra.
This year’s class has many members of all-state orchestra, band, jazz band, mixed choir, women’s choir and men’s choir. Many outstanding seniors are attending University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, Luther College, UW-Eau Claire and the University of Minnesota.
La Crosse Logan’s Jaimee Hoefert was an all-state band clarinet player and played cello for the school orchestra. Also a National Merit Scholarship finalist, Hoefert will attend St Olaf College.
Westby’s Haley Gibbons, a member of all-state band and all-state choir as well as a four-year qualifier for the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association’s Badger state piano auditions, plans to major in music and psychology at Luther College.
Lacey Alexander of Kickapoo High School is one of two Wisconsin students who has been a member of the Wisconsin State Music Association’s all-state band for six years. This school year Alexander was the principal piccolo player in the all-state band and also was named to the all-state orchestra. She plans to study nursing at Viterbo.
Twins Kylie and Gabrielle Janovick of Sparta High School were members of all-state bands and will attend the University of Minnesota with a goal to become neurosurgeons. Kylie played flute and Gabrielle played clarinet.
Jared Mashak of Holmen High School was successful in show choir solo competitions by winning or placing in four competitions. Mashak will attend Viterbo.
Don Stein of Onalaska High School has been one of the best percussionists in the La Crosse area and plans to attend Luther College. La Crosse Central’s Kyle Walsh was one of 12 district winners in the Sound Taps Wisconsin competition in 2006. Dan Nigon, a fellow trumpet player at Central, took second place in the district.
Other top-level musicians:
SARAH HORSTMANN
High School: West Salem
College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
JANA WACKER
High School: Sparta
College: Viterbo University
KYLE WALSH
High School: La Crosse Central
College: University of Wisconsin-Madison
TROY PRONSCHINSKE
High School: Arcadia
College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
ZACH CROLIUS
High School: La Crosse Central
College: UW-La Crosse
ALEX LEFEBVRE
High School: Caledonia, Minn.
College: Cornell College (Iowa)
LUKE ABRAMS
High School: Westby
College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
MICHAEL HANKINS
High School: Viroqua
College: University of Wisconsin-Plateville
PAUL DRACE
High School: Black River Falls
College: Olivet Nazarene University
OREY ROBIE
High School: Independence
College: Luther College
CHELSEY JOSEPHSON
High School: Holmen
College: Wartburg College
CAROLINE SCHWEDLER
High School: Onalaska Luther
College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
BRANDEN STEINMETZ
High School: Tomah
College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
WILL LEONARD
High School: La Crosse Central
College: Viterbo University
ALIYAH RICHLING
High School:
La Crosse Central
College: Luther College
BRYANT BAKKUM
High School: Westby
College: Luther College
DAN NIGON
High School: La Crosse Central
College: University of Minnesota
JOE KRUSE
High School: La Crosse Aquinas
College: University of Minnesota
ALIISON GEYER
High School: Onalaska
College: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
MAGGIE BUCHTA
High School: Holmen
College: Luther College
MATT MOMONT
High School: La Crosse Aquinas
College: Notre Dame University
ELISE ROONEY
High School: Holmen
College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
BRIAN MCCARTHY
High School: Onalaska
College: University of Wisconsin-Madison
OAKLEY MOSER
High School: Tomah
College: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
CHELSEY SPAETH
High School: Viroqua
College: Viterbo University
ALYSSA AMES
High School: Logan High School
College: Western Technical College
JODIE KLUKAS
High School: La Crosse Logan
College: Viterbo University
OTHER NOMINEES
The following also were considered among the best high school senior musicians:
Arcadia: Danielle Tamke, Melissa Schroeder, Holly Lisowski, Kaycee Christ.
Bangor: Katanya Kerkman, Andrew Gollnick, Eric Wermedal, Amanda Wilde, Audrey Reigel.
Black River Falls: Kristen Nordahl.
De Soto: Ben Ghelf.
Holmen: Brian Schroeder, Brianna Herber.
Houston, Minn.: Theresa Breault.
Kickapoo: JoLissa Wheeler
La Crescent, Minn.: Kerry McKelvey, Ellen Poeschel, Nicole Nelson.
La Crosse Aquinas: Jeff Jahangir, Ty Ziniel, Ben Harris.
La Crosse Central: Athena Norton, Ann Solyst, Chad Ennis.
La Crosse Logan: Nathan Hecht, Tim Riley, David Hecht, Sarah Klinesmith, Stephanie Dietz.
La Farge: Brittany Walker.
Lansing Kee, Iowa: Amanda Van Brocklin.
Melrose-Mindoro: Karlie White, Josephine Grinde
North Crawford: John Powell.
Onalaska: Alex Burgess, Brittany Bauer.
Onalaska Luther: Ben Bakken, Heather Kastenschmidt
Royall: Jacy Dillahunty, Shane Harris.
Sparta: Maggie Peterson, Nicole Meyer.
Tomah: Robbie Erickson.
Viroqua: Owen Miller, Katie Deaver.
Westby: Lanae Nickelotti.
West Salem: Marc Manke, Tyler Halverson.
OTHER OUTSTANDING SENIORS
Arcadia: Brodie Reuter, Adam Literski, Katie Neitzel, Stephanie Klink, Cory Buss, Lydia Backes, Kelsey Pronschinske, Stephanie Tidquist.
Bangor: Samantha Helgerson, Chris Wojtan, Morgan Pember.
Black River Falls: Ellen Devendorf, Kami Hoagenson, Aric Koster, Caitlin Laudon, Katie Norton, Tim Roberts, Beth Wensel, Morgan MacIntyre, Jerrica Libert, Deni Robnolt, Carla Stenulson.
Blair-Taylor: Rachel Hardie, Kristen Lebakken, Trent Lien, Randy Joten, Stephanie Bobo, Kendra Stephenson.
Brookwood: Miranda Haugen, John Robinson, Allison Waege, Katie Gibson, Cassie Huwald, Jennie Kindt, Kyle Leis, Heidi Ballwahn, Ismael Valesco, Brandon Greeno, Moriah Turek, Stefanie Damm.
Caledonia, Minn.: Sarah Kruse, Jane Pettit, Christen Schieber, Kelly Bauer, Andrell Hudson.
Cashton: Jordan Weiker, Rochelle Mangen, Ashley Odegard, Jesse Wangen, Katie Brueggen, Nicole Kolbo, Jordan Dieckman, Erin Leis.
G-E-T: Lydia Graf, Ashley Hovell.
Holmen: Elizabeth Rosendale, Ricky Anderson, Jaclyn Matt, Andrew Brueggen, Betsy Mashak, Katelyn Larsen, Heather Wortman, Jessie Sunday, Holly Bowers, Nissa Tolvstad.
Independence: Amanda Backman, Anthony Crowell, Elliot Wiersgalla.
Kickapoo: Chelsea Vinger.
La Crescent, Minn.: Mike Davis, Jessie Esser, Mike Gohres, Beth Gonia, Missy Hoch, Jonathan Kistler, Erica Langen, Austin Mickschl, Alyssa Schulte, Anna Schulz, Allison Stanek, Ben Trnka, Peter Wiese, Traci Voshart.
La Crosse Aquinas: Karissa Heilman, Joe Mullaney, John Brown and Sreenath Pillai, Nick Guggenbuehl, Tim Kachel, Liza Kramer, Joe Kruse, Kristyn Taggart.
La Crosse Central: Jake Mayer, Chad Ennis, Elise Dihlmann-Malzer, Sarah Butterfield, Colin Percy, Aaron Frost.
La Crosse Logan: Hannah Blanke, Jacqueline Calkins, Cassie Brose, Palli Lee, Mai See Vue, Amanda Will, Kelsey Davison, Stacy Fahey, Ryan Lange, Andrea Olson, Romi Pellowski, Katie Reget, Emily Hughes, Claire Udell, Ashley Haefs, Alex Korish.
La Farge: Ashley Campbell, Rebecca Schlicht.
Lansing Kee, Iowa: Matt Kruse, Hans Walleser.
Melrose-Mindoro: Brianne Hansen, Dustin Olson, Heather Gurske, Erin Nichols, Abby Severson, Nicole Bailey.
North Crawford: Andrew Cox, Kyle Oldenburg, Kirsten Oppriecht.
Onalaska: Kalynn Raifsnider, Kim Pickett, Katie Gorman, Heather Boelke, Hailie Meyer, Emily Miethke, Deandra Christianson, Caleb Erickson, Bryan Ward, Tyler Mielke, Adam Puls, Aaron Lofald.
Onalaska Luther: Megan Sonnenfeld, Josh Wierschke, Andrea Dorn, Chris Meyer, Karla Fehr, Tricia Wehrenberg, Caleb Pralle, Hannah Stuebs, Sammi Schams.
Prairie du Chien: Tom McCoy, Abbey Stark, Cathy Frailey, Ben Sanders, James Goad, Mike Rangl, Bridgett Brinkman, Cory Arnold.
Royall: Brian Schroeder, Lucas Scheeter, Kimberly Bohnert, Jenna Eno, Julie Retzlaff.
Seneca: Brandy Poltrock, Brittany Long, Hannah Forde.
Sparta: Jackie Schubert, Kayla McAnulty, Donita Kolterman, Amanda Hove, Adam Horstman, Mindy Harper, Ryan Hamel, Autumn Foster, Becky Fox, Beth Ascher, Laura Moorhead, Amber Abbott, Josh Lollis, Ryan Guldenaar, Rachel Barclay, Robert Arnold.
Spring Grove, Minn.: Karla Tweeten, Joe Dokken, Jaci Tweeten, James Wiste.
Tomah: Rochelle Renaud, Rusty Schultz, Ashley Dechant, Jenna Mattison, Jordan Maternoski, Matt Jensen, Jessica Chaffee, Jeff Bishop, Ryan Fischer, Eric Johnson, Tiffany Lewis, Jimmy Peth, Molly Prise, Emily Schack, Alissa Taylor, Josh Thideman, Elise Von Haden, Lauren Whipple.
Viroqua: Brandon Turner.
Westby: Whitney Stoker, Katie Nestingen, Abigail Knutson, Gillian Ekern, Dylan Stoffregen, Ashley Holen.
West Salem: Trinity Carlson, Mynx Seibert, Cole Andres, Whitney Bina, Hannah Cerney, Abby Johnson, Jenna Kowalke, Melissa Meinking, Abby Reamer.
Whitehall: Michelle Skaar, Amy Ehlert, Emily Kupka, Aaron Sherry, Matt Knudtson, Tiffany Melby, Julia Matthews, Jackie Hauser, Daniel Franklin, Paula Kulig.
Nominations and information provided by local music teachers and others in the music field.
