Local Troupe named District Champs again

WAUSA  — The Wausmond One Act Play earned the District title and several local students received Outstanding Actor honors at the District Play Production competition Monday, Dec. 2 here.

Taylor Kumm, Tyler Baue, Esther Nelson, Dawson Thorell, Carson Barney, Conner Von Rentzell, Jonah Story and Darla Nelson all took home Outstanding awards. 

Stanton took runner-up honors, while Cedar Catholic Battle Creek earned third place,Crofton was fourth and Cedar Catholic took fifth.

The team will now head to State with the idea of hanging another state championship banner on the wall. The combined Wausa-Osmond team finished third last season. It was the first time Wausa competed as a C1 school.

Supt. Brad Hoesing, in his  14th year as coach, is in charge of the 68-member cast. He is assisted this year by Sheila Hoesing, Kurt Polt, and Tanya McFarland. Hoesing said the students performed well at Districts

This year’s troupe presented  “The Legend of La Llorona,” which was written by Sheila Hoesing.

The production is based on a Spanish ghost story and it involves a horror format.

“We’ve had a lot of fun with it and the kids have worked really hard,” Brad Hoesing said.

Wausa has won 11 team state titles in Hoesing’s first 13 seasons, which includes going to the finals all those years. Those titles were obtained at the D2 and D1 levels.

“Honestly it’s our kids’ work ethic,” Hoesing said. “They commit to our program and hold themselves to a high level of accountability. I don’t care if you are in football or in business, it comes down to ‘how are you going to work?’ Our kids commit to what I ask of them and that makes a big difference.”

“We have some really talented kids in our speaking roles, and I am really excited about how they’ve adapted.”

The team will now compete in the State One Act competition Thursday, Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. in the Johnny Carson Theatre at Norfolk High Schoool.