Round Rock ISD students achieved remarkable success at the Texas State German Contest on March 1 at Texas State University. There, they competed against top students from across the state in various German language learning competitions. 

Cedar Ridge High School’s German I-AP teacher, Leslie Decker, said the Texas German Contest system is an important part of keeping German programs alive in the state.

“Students are so proud of themselves when they win something in a foreign language, it keeps them interested,” she said. “I’ve had students come up to me years after graduation to tell me that they still remember their poem, their skit, or their research paper topic.”

Cedar Ridge, Grisham Middle School, and Westwood High School students demonstrated outstanding performance in individual and group events, earning multiple awards and recognitions. Sweepstakes are awarded to schools receiving the highest number of points. Points are earned for each event where a student places 1st—10th.

Cedar Ridge High School

Cedar Ridge High School students secured a sixth-place Sweepstakes award for small programs and a $250 prize for the German Club, thanks to Madison Lynn’s promotional video submission.

Group Events

  • Skit 2 (3rd place): Madison Lynn, Emily Graham, Sheree Brooks, Nate Pearcy, Paige Demuth, Blake Guajardo, Anna Salachyonok, Elijah Hoyt, Spencer Crawford, Landon Owen
  • Pass Auf – Varsity (6th place): Logan Lynn, Isabel Campbell, Viviane Hoschek
  • Puppet Show – Upper (6th place): Manpreet Ravulapati, Rishi Rathod, Daemon Bearden, Suhas Madireddy
  • Skit 1 (6th place): Matthew Nygren, Matteo Borra, Lea Mikeska, Ryan Williams, Logan Robertson, Kacey Acosta, Ben Littlestar, Elijah Hoyt, Spencer Crawford, Travis Crispin, Sheree Brooks0

Individual Events

  • Listening Comprehension 1 (4th place): Matteo Borra
  • Prose Memory 2 (4th place): Anna Salachyonok
  • Culture 4 (5th place): Logan Lynn
  • Prose Memory 1 (5th place): Viviane Hoschek
  • Pair Discussion 3 (6th place): Manpreet Ravulapati, Isabel Campbell
  • Spelling 1 (6th place): Matteo Borra
  • Culture 1 (7th place): Viviane Hoschek
  • Extemporaneous Speaking 3 (7th place): Isabel Campbell
  • Duet Acting – Lower (8th place): Sheree Brooks, Matthew Nygren
  • Grammar 1 (10th place): Matteo Borra

Grisham Middle School

Grisham Middle School set a record by finishing third in the small school category, its highest placement ever. It was the only middle school competing, highlighting the students’ exceptional talent.

Group Events

  • Classical Ensemble (2nd place): Bobby Deng, Ivana Hsu, Mark May
  • Polka Band (4th place): Avi Arun, Bennett Sullivan, Matteo Davila, Antonio Garcia, Nolan Riviera, Morgan Darling, Anthony Kurtz, Joshua Hana, Ouki Tani
  • Duet Acting (2nd place): Josephine Wang, Isabel Wen
  • German-Texas Heritage Research Paper (4th place, $50 prize): Ivan Hsu, Isabel Wen
  • Non-Traditional Gingerbread House Design (Top 10): Bennett Sullivan, Clay Steinheider, Antonio Garcia, Bobby Deng
  • Traditional Gingerbread House Design (4th place): Catherine Nelson, Lucy May, Greta Bellington, Angelica Xu

Individual Events

  • Morgan Darling: 1st place in Sight Reading, 2nd place in Spelling
  • Matteo Davila: 1st place in Reading Comprehension, 5th place in Spelling
  • Aadit Goel: 1st place in Listening Comprehension, 2nd place in Sight Reading, 3rd place in Vocabulary, 5th place in Digital Logo Design
  • Ivana Hsu: 3rd place in Reading Comprehension, 5th place in Directed Dialogue
  • Clay Steinheider: 2nd place in Grammar, Top 10 in Timed Writing

Westwood High School

Westwood High School earned third place in the Sweepstakes for large German programs, with students excelling in various categories.

Group Events

  • Pass Auf Varsity (2nd place): Kritanko Chakraborty, Abhiram Donepudi, Maalolan Parthasarathi, Ellah Daniel, Sam Miller, Breelyn Tarno
  • Video Show (1st place): Aleks Tremmel, Bidita Majumdar, Kritanko Chakraborty, Leila Tavasoli, Mason Jacob, Matti Schaelicke
  • Folk Dance (8th place): Maya Bassett, Ellah Daniel, O’Viya Dinesh, Sofia Granados, Gabriel Oliveira, Jillian Riethmiller, Dylan Scales, Leila Tavasoli, Emily Zhang
  • Research Paper (9th place): Eva Malik, Geet Nijahawan
  • Pair Discussion (3rd place): Sofia Granados, Amrita Josyula

Individual Events

  • Ellah Daniel: 1st place in Poetry Memory, 1st place in Vocal Solo, 2nd place in Sight Reading
  • Lena Boas: 3rd place in Extemporaneous Speaking, 2nd place in Oral Presentation, 2nd place in Advantaged Speaker Test
  • Daniel Carruyo: 3rd place in Sight Reading, 4th place in Spelling, 4th place in Culture, 2nd place in Contemporary Music
  • Abhiram Donepudi: 1st place in Grammar, 1st place in Spelling, 2nd place in Pass Auf Varsity
  • Breelyn Tarno: 1st place in Timed Writing, 3rd place in Reading, 5th place in Directed Dialogue, 2nd place in Pass Auf Varsity

The district’s K-12 World Languages Coordinator, Marie-Christine Douglass, said she’s incredibly proud of our German Students for their combined achievements at the Texas State German Contest.

“Competing against over 600 students from 36 schools, they showcased their dedication and talent on a grand stage,” said Douglass. “These successes are a testament to the hard work of our students and the dedication of our amazing German teachers at Round Rock ISD.”

Round Rock ISD is incredibly proud of its students’ dedication and excellence at the state level. Their hard work and achievements reflect the strength of the district’s German language programs.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch!