Owatonna DECA Students Advance to State

More than half of Owatonna's 92 DECA students who competed at the recent district competition qualified to go to state. Approximately 55 OHS students placed in the top four to advance to the Minnesota State Career Development Conference in March. Those who place in the top four at state can attend the national conference in April in Nashville, TN.

According to a news release from adviser Scott Pierce, "DECA is a group of marketing students who are working on their leadership, marketing, and entrepreneurial skills. The events at the conference involve role plays, presentations, interviewing, and entrepreneurship and marketing."

"Many members of the community also participated at the event as judges and check-in receptionists." The district event was held at Christian Family Church in Owatonna and sponsored by Hometown Credit Union.

First place finishers included Ruth Livingston, Alex Huemoeller, Lauren Thamert, Emma Loveless, Erin Holzerland, Sam Fredin, Alexis Ringhofer, Moriah Noeldner, Syd Hunst, Lileigh Nguyen, Bianca St. Dennis, Julia Dallenbach, Whitni Minton, Lane Versteeg, and Sabella Maas.

Second place finishers included Ashton Jensen, Jacob Meiners Luke Effertz, Daniela Ortiz, Avery Becker, Hunter Menden, Allison Wasieleski, Josie Sullivan, Zach Leibl, Isaiah Noeldner, and Emma Klemmensen.

Those taking third placer were Brynn Butler, Chloe Schmidt, Liv Larson, Kaitlyn Madole, Jay Thompson, Sarah Snitker, Maria Mollenhauer, Sydney Hall, Ibraahiim Roble, Nick Mullenbach, and Abdi Salad.

Other state qualifiers were Fardowsa Abbas, Preston Meier, Elisa Sande, Candace Goodsell, Luke Wottreng, Cael Dowling, Leone Jacobson, Jacob Meiners, Holly Buytaert, Jenna Spatenka, Ashley Schlauderaff, Claire Heyne, Ezra Oien, Grace Randall, Phil Koslosky, Johnny Wall, Sol Havelka, and Damian Boubin.

Some competitors placed multiple times. Some competed as two-person teams and other were individual placings.

The officers for the Owatonna High School DECA chapter are Chloe Schmidt, Josie Sullivan, Erin Holzerland, Emma Loveless, Elise Sande, and Sam Fredin.