Liliana Asta Scholastic Bowl/Choir
Liliana Asta earned a spot on the NUIC Conference Scholastic Bowl All-Tournament Team on Saturday, with one of the ten highest correct tossup totals of all the competing players after the 4 morning rounds. Her output contributed in a big way to the Pirates’ winning the tournament championship in the field of 18. She finished the day with a tie for Galena’s highest correctly-answered tossup total. Coach Ron Jenkins said, “Liliana continues to impress with her knowledge and gameplay. I’m looking forward to her leadership throughout the remainder of the season”
Mrs. Lilly Streich said, “Liliana is a dedicated musician who is known to perform in and around the Galena area. She is a talented musician who is always seeking to improve her craft by participating in music camps, festivals, lessons, and larger music organizations. Each year students audition to first get into the district level choir and then based on their scores are picked to participate in the All-State ensembles to perform at the end of January in Peoria, IL. This year Liliana was chosen to sing in both the Jazz Choir at the district level and the Concert Choir. We are so proud of Liliana as she was one of the top sopranos in the district. Liliana will be performing in the Honors All-State Choir which is a huge accomplishment. Since I started teaching in Galena in 2022, we have sent two students to All-State. I am excited about the future of this program and to have Liliana pave the way for future music students.”
Helena Townsend-Grove Band
Helena is a very talented clarinet player who has now qualified for All-State 2 years in a row! Ms. Lillie Streich said, “This is a huge accomplishment and we could not be more proud of all of the hard work she has put in to get to where she is. At the district level Helena played first chair for the orchestra and was then selected to play in the All-State band. A huge congratulations to Helena as she goes to represent Galena at the state level.”
Liliana and Helena were honored with a gift basket from the Galena Culver’s, as well as a newspaper courtesy of the Galena Gazette.
Other Nominations
Jack Vincent Boys Basketball – This week in a game vs West Carroll, Jack had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal in 7 minutes of action. Coach Matt Wienen said, “Jack had a great game in both the JV and Varsity game vs West Carroll. He has had an outstanding Freshman for us this season. Jack’s play at the JV level has earned him playing time at the Varsity level. He has adjusted to the speed/physical play at the high school level nicely. I’ve noticed in every game this season Jack has been a constant player that loves to rebound, play defense and that can score at any time for his team. He is a player that is improving in practice every day and that improving play has earned him playing time for our varsity team this season as a freshman. When his time came vs West Carroll and I couldn’t have been more excited for Jack. Keep up the good work young man- you’re going to have a bright future for our basketball program!”
Lex Abt Scholastic Bowl – At Thursday night’s JV Scholastic Bowl tournament in Pecatonica, Lex Ab led the team in scoring, correctly answering 17 tossups of the 70 he was in play for, for an impressive correct answer percentage of 24%. JV Coach Ben Jenkins said, “Lex also served as team captain for much of the tournament, which the Pirates went on to dominate, taking first place of the 18-team field. Lex correctly answered questions on Singapore, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ready Player One, and Qatar, showing the formidable breadth and depth of his knowledge, which should only continue to grow as the season carries on.” Lex continued his winning ways on the varsity team by racking up the Pirates’ third-highest tossup total at the NUIC Conference Tournament, and contributing to the Pirates’ 6 victories and first-place finish out of 18 teams.
Claudia Liberg Scholastic Bowl – Claudia Liberg served as captain of the Galena B Team at Saturday’s NUIC Conference Tournament. For most of the day, leading them to a respectable 204 record. She tied for the Pirates’ third-highest tossup total, with 15. According to Coach Ron Jenkins, “Claudia is an enthusiastic senior member of the team. She willingly stepped into the role of B-team captain at the tournament. It was great to see her meet the challenge and get such a high tossup response as well”
Lucy Heller Basketball – Coach Joe Engle commented, “Lucy is an extremely hardworking player which earned her a starting role in our last game and she had 7 points with 3 steals. Lucy shows up every practice with loads of energy and is always working hard to improve her game. She is a joy to coach and is by far my most improved player thus far in the season.”