Two projects by Holmen Middle School eighth-graders earned some recognition at the recent National History Day state competition on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

Chase Thomashide, Graeme Sua and Austin Dahl won a first honorable mention award in the Junior Group Web Site division for their site devoted to “Brown v. Board of Education.”

In addition, Rachel Seebach and Rachel Sloan earned a second honorable mention award in the Junior Group Documentary division for their project, “Iditarod: The 1925 Serum Run.”

The students were selected to move on to regional competition after a competition at Holmen Middle School. The top three in each category from each of the seven regional competitions across Wisconsin competed at the state competition. The theme for the projects was “conflict and compromise.”

For the first time this year, students at Onalaska Middle School participated in the National History Day project and two qualified for the state event: Ryan Tripp for his solo performance illustrating “Conflicts and Compromises of the Cattle Drives” and Allison Jensen’s Web site on “Martin Luther.”

A number of other HMS students also qualified for the state competition, including the following:

Junior Group Performances: Marissa Bay, Haillea Wagner, Malorie Eimermann, “Junk Food;” Morgan Flury, Allie Luz, Jahnna Johnson, “Little Rock Nine”

Junior Individual Documentaries: Isaac Prichett, “The Navajo Code”

Junior Group Documentaries: Lexi Renk, Ashlee Altobelli, Kaitlin Nottestad, “Titanic”

Junior Web sites: Sam Smith, Chase Knudson, “Cuban Missile Crisis”

Junior Individual Projects (Exhibits): Eric Gregor, “Enduring Conflict and Compromise: Jackie Robinson Shatters the Color Barrier”

Junior Group Projects (Exhibits): Alexis Krause, Katlyn Johnson, Myriam Zary, “The Children of Auschwitz”

The Holmen Area Historical Society featured some of the HMS projects at its recent meeting and several projects also are on display at the La Crosse Main Library.

Contact Randy Erickson at randy.erickson@lee.net or 786-6812.

MORE RESULTS: The Wisconsin Historical Society's Web site has a list of all the finalists and honorable mention awardees.

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