Students from the Twin Cities, Rochester, Mankato and Duluth area earned awards.

Eight Minnesota entries took home medals today at the 2013 National History Day competition, held at the University of Maryland, just outside Washington D.C.

Students conducted research on a variety of topics including the fall of communism in Poland, the history of investigative journalism and the gay rights movement. In addition to the medal-winning entries, Minnesota led the nation with 10 other national finalist projects. A total of 63 Minnesota students joined almost 2,800 other students from across the nation in the weeklong competition.

The students, representing grades six through 12, from schools around the state, presented exhibits, papers, documentaries, performances and websites that showed off months of research into topics based on the 2013 National History Day theme: " Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events."

The top three national finishers in each category earn monetary awards. First place receives $1,000, second place receives $500 and third place receives $250. National History Day also recognizes one outstanding state entry in each division, junior and senior, with a medal.

Medal winners:

• Maggie Schmidt, Kateri Schmidt, and Carly Zimmerman, St. Clare Academy, Mendota Heights
  FIRST PLACE
  Senior Group Performance, "John Paul II’s Apostolic Journey to Poland."
  
• Monica Nelson, William Menor and Sarah Becker, Homeschool - John Paul II, Ham Lake/Duluth
  SECOND PLACE
  Senior Group Performance, "Ida Tarbell’s Expose of Standard Oil: A Turning Point in Journalism."
  
• Maddie Pavek, Century High School, Rochester
  THIRD PLACE
  Senior Individual Exhibit, "Out of the Closet and Into the Streets: Frank Kameny and the Mattachine Society of Washington D.C."
  
• Grace Kellar-Long, Open World Learning Community, St. Paul
  THIRD PLACE
  Junior Individual Performance, "Little Rock Nine: Struggle for Integration."
  
• Noah Rooze, Cyber Village Academy, St. Paul
  THIRD PLACE
  Junior Individual Website, "Krushchev’s Secret Speech: A Turning Point in Soviet Political Ideas." http://70443458.nhd.weebly.com
  
• Eric Lagos and Soren Malm, L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion School, St. Paul
  THIRD PLACE
  Junior Group Website, "Robert Smalls: Commandeering the Planter to Freedom." http://86963371.nhd.weebly.com
  
• Sarah Westad, White Bear Lake High School, White Bear Lake
  THIRD PLACE
  Senior Individual Performance, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the 14th Amendment: The Turning Point of In re Gault."
  
• Lindsey Chambers, Holly Hankins, Nusla Mohamed and Mary Traxler, Mankato West High School, Mankato
  THIRD PLACE
  Senior Group Exhibit "The Turning Point for the Democratic Party: Hubert Humphrey’s Speech at the 1948 DNC."

Other top 11 finishers from Minnesota:

• Becky Norling-Ruggles, Frances Matejcek, Grace Palmer, South High School, Minneapolis
  FIFTH PLACE
  Senior Group Documentary "Driven to Decline: Interstate Highways, Suburbanization, and Urban Decay."
  *This presentation also received the outstanding state entry award for the senior division.
  
• Anna Mulhern, Seward Montessori School, Minneapolis
  SIXTH PLACE
  Junior Individual Performance "The U.S. – Dakota War of 1862: A Tragic Turning Point Fueled by Greed, Corruption and Racism."
  *This presentation also received the outstanding state entry award for the junior division.
  
• Audrey Dombro, Highland Park High School, St. Paul
  SEVENTH PLACE
  Senior Individual Website, "Eugene Francois Vidocq and the Turning Point in Crime Fighting." http://77845624.nhd.weebly.com
  
• Sarah Wheaton, Twin Cities Academy, St. Paul
  EIGHTH PLACE
  Junior Paper, "The G.I. Bill: A Ticket to the American Dream."
  
• Simon Dungan-Seaver, Eli Sage-Martinson and Bjorn Holm, Open World Learning Community, St. Paul
  EIGHTH PLACE
  Junior Group Documentary, "The U.S. Dakota War of 1862: A Turning Point in the Dakota Culture."
  
• Miranda Skinner and Eleanor O’Callaghan, Capitol Hill Magnet School, St. Paul
  EIGHTH PLACE
  Junior Group Website, "A Turning Point in Medicine: The Invention of Chemotherapy." http://64258589.nhd.weebly.com
  
• Kathleen Watson and Maziere Flynn, Highland Park Sr. High School, St. Paul
  EIGHTH PLACE
  Senior Group Website, "The 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill." http://66760250.nhd.weebly.com
  
• Olivia DiGiorno, Parkview Center School, Roseville
  ELEVENTH PLACE
  Junior Paper, "On the Brink: Nuclear Warfare and the Cuban Missile Crisis."
  
• Bailey Hilgren and Luke Isensee, Chatfield High School, Chatfield
  ELEVENTH PLACE
  Senior Group Documentary, "Making a Splash: A Turning Point in Environmental Legislation."
  
• Sovigne Gardner, Grace Gardner, Cyber Village Academy, St. Paul
  ELEVENTH PLACE
  Junior Group Performance, "Spartacus: The Movie that Broke the Blacklist."

About National History Day in Minnesota

In Minnesota, 25,000 students from more than 250 schools participate in the National History Day in Minnesota program each year.

For more information see the National History Day in Minnesota page on the Minnesota Historical Society’s website at http://education.mnhs.org/historyday.

The National History Day in Minnesota is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota. Program support is also provided by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, the Society preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.