The Haines Glacier Bards drama debate and forensics team is headed to the state meet in Juneau after successful performances at last week’s regional tournament in Ketchikan.

All seven members qualified for the final meet that begins Feb. 13. Although DDF rules stipulate students must only perform at two meets, head coach Hannah Bochart places higher standards by requiring the Bards to make it into the final rounds during competitions. Every Glacier Bard has done so this season.

“I’m extremely proud,” head coach Hannah Bochart said of the seven Bards who qualified for state. “They’ve worked much harder this year at getting to a point of polishing these pieces to really exemplify the best of their abilities.”

At the Ketchikan tournament, Stella Ordonez took home first place in solo acting, and Tanna Dixon won fifth in the same category.

Eli Williamson took home two second place finishes with a humorist interpretation and an informative speech about the history of political parties. Williamson researched and wrote the original speech.

“I’m a big history nerd and I really found the history of some of the political parties that died off in American history very interesting,” Williamson said. “Also, the change that has taken place in the two current political parties. I figured I’d write a speech about it.”

Williamson has spent the past 10 weeks refining his performance. His humorist interpretation was a performance of an Andy Griffith radio skit about his first experience of watching football and being “ridiculously confused by it.”

Nathan Haas won second place in a dramatic interpretation and Ordonez took home fourth in the same category. Haas and Hannah Boron also won third in duet acting.

Bochart said the Bards’ hard work is paying off as they prepare for February’s final competition of the year.

“I feel like Haines, for as tiny as we are, we break into the final rounds quite a bit and that’s all due to the work ethic of the kids,” Bochart said. “They really stepped up their game this year and its starting to show.”

Williamson said he’s confident in his and his team’s performances going into state. “They’ve put a lot of effort into it,” Williamson said. “It feels like what we have in Haines and Southeast is very unique.”

The DDF team competed against students from Metlakata, Mount Edecumbe, Sitka, Skagway, Thunder Mountain and Ketchikan.