Meyering, Pederson crowned

NRHEG Snow Week from Feb. 2 to 6 was filled with activities, most notably the coronation ceremony which crowned Winter Pederson and Quen Meyering from among the 10 members of the snow court, who were Pederson, Meyering, Gabrielle Schlaak, Meela Budach, Nora Flatness, Kaitlyn Dobberstein, Kayden Warke, Ezekiel Morrison, Kaleb Hughes, Justin Beauvais, DeShawn Jones and Isaac Bauleke.

 

Held early the afternoon of Tuesday, Feb. 3, the coronation was attended by all secondary school students and many friends and family members of the court. Activity coaches and advisors gave brief summaries of their seasons. Speaking were Krey Cory, wrestling; Brooks Gilliland, boys’ basketball; Onika Peterson, girls’ basketball; Winter Pederson, one-act play; Krista Reeder, choir; and Seth Schaefer, band.

 

Dress-up days for the week included “Pajama/Comfy Day,” “Generation Day,” “White Lie,” “Dress as your type,” and “Meme Day.” Daily prizes were awarded; those who dressed up all five days were eligible for a “championship.” 

 

A semi-formal dance was held in the high school gym on Saturday evening.

 

The following introduction was read aloud, introducing the 2026 Snow Court:

Meela Budach is the daughter of Dan and Kari Budach. She has two older siblings: Hannah and Bo. Meela is involved in volleyball, FCCLA, and NHS. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her friends, fishing, shopping, and spending time with her niece, Navy. Meela is good at keeping busy, but is not good at saving money. Her favorite food is any pasta, and she believes the grossest food is mushrooms. Meela’s heroes are her grandmas, Kris and Cheryl, because they are always so supportive of everything she does and she knows she can always count on them. After high school, Meela plans to attend Lake Area Technical College for the surgical technician program.

 

Justin Beauvais is the son of Carina and Matt Beauvais. He has two siblings, Caden and Sean. Justin is involved in football, trapshooting, DECA and track. He likes to hang out with friends, snowboard, watch basketball, and occasionally play games. Justin is good at driving, but not very good at following directions. His favorite food is a grilled cheesesteak burrito, and he thinks olives are gross. Justin’s heroes are his parents because they have taught him most things he knows, and they support him with his chores and are always there for him. After high school, Justin plans to become an electrician and make bank.

 

Kayden Warke is the daughter of Josh and Kelly Warke. She has two sisters, Kylie and Kelsey.  Kayden is involved in volleyball, FCCLA, student ambassadors, FCA, and Knowledge Bowl.  Her two main hobbies are playing volleyball and bedazzling random things throughout her room. Kayden is good at turning any quiet moment into a full-blown conversation, but not good at knowing when to stop talking once she starts. Her favorite food at the moment is Hibachi or Chinese, and the grossest food she ever tasted is almost any vegetable, especially peas.  Kayden’s heroes are her parents, because they have always been there for her, supporting her through every challenge and teaching her everything she needs to know today. Kayden plans to attend Mankato State University and she wants to become a nurse, specifically in pediatrics.

 

Quen Meyering is the son of Tawnya and Terry. He has three siblings, Danica, Braylynn, and Braxton. Quen is involved in football, and also enjoys fishing and video games. He is good at fishing, but not very good at getting to school on time. His favorite food is pizza and the grossest food he ever tasted is pickled herring. Quen’s hero is Curtis, because he stays true to himself and does not give in to peer pressure. Quen’s plans for the future are to be awesome and kind to others.

 

Kaitlyn Dobberstein is the daughter of Josh and Linda Dobberstein. She has two siblings: Ella and Jacob. Kaitlyn is involved in FFA, student council, choir, and National Honor Society. Her hobbies include hanging out with family and friends, tanning, and shopping. Kaitlyn is good at stressing out about anything and everything, but not so good at saving money. Her favorite food is any kind of soup, and the grossest thing she has ever eaten is Creme Brulee. Kaitlyn’s hero is Jesus because he has always been her best friend. After high school, she plans to go to Winona State majoring in elementary education and minoring in special education.

 

Isaac Bauleke is the son of Jerry and Kathy. He has three siblings, Austin, Kaitlyn, and Addison.  Isaac is involved in men's volleyball and baseball. His hobbies include fishing, hunting, video games, and eating a lot of food. Isaac is good at fishing, but not very good at cooking. His favorite food is BLTs and the grossest food he ever tasted is a pickled egg. His hero is Tom Brady because he is a cool guy and good at football. In the future, Isaac plans to fish, eat and live a happy life.

 

Gabby Schlaak is the daughter of Kim and Justin Schlaak. She has two brothers, Kordell and Dakota. Gabby is involved in volleyball, basketball, track and field, NHS, FCA, FCCLA, DECA, student council, student ambassadors, and SALT. Her hobbies include hanging out with family and friends. Gabby is good at sleeping through her alarms, but not very good at waking up for school or morning practice. Her favorite food is sushi, and her least favorite food is plantain.  Her heroes are her parents and Jesus, because they guide her in the right direction. After high school, Gabby plans to go to college at MSU and is undecided, but most likely will major in dental hygiene.

 

Kaleb Hughes is the son of Angie and Zack Hughes. He has a sister, Lily. Kaleb is involved in football and trap shooting. He also likes to fish, hunt, cook and spend his time outside and with friends. Kaleb is good at cooking, but not very good at doing backflips. His favorite food is grilled cheese, and the grossest thing he ever tasted was crab rangoons. Kaleb’s heroes are his mom and dad because they have helped him more ways than he could count. After high school, Kaleb plans to go to college to be an automotive technician.

 

Winter Pederson is the daughter of Nikki Cromwell and Michael Pederson. She has one older brother, Harbor. Winter is involved in FCCLA, One Act Play, Knowledge Bowl, student ambassadors, yearbook, readers’ theater, and stats for wrestling. Her hobbies include going new places with her mom, and hanging out with her cousins, doing crafts, and working. She is good at sleeping for very long amounts of time, and not very good at being quiet and talking at a normal volume (sorry, Cindi). Her favorite food is French fries, and the grossest food for her is tomatoes. Winter’s heroes are her parents: her mom because she puts up with her and she is super funny and her dad because he makes good food. After high school, Winter plans to attend Southwest Technical College in Winona to get her Esthetician certificate.

 

Ezekiel Morrison is the son of Shayne Morrison and Kim Morrison. His hobbies include playing video games and sleeping. Ezekiel is good at playing video games, but not very good at chemistry. His favorite food is Taco Bell, and the grossest food he’s ever tasted is coleslaw.  Ezekiel’s heroes are his parents because they have always been there for him. His future plans are to work.

 

Nora Flatness is the daughter of Karen and Brandon Flatness. She has four brothers: Gage, Cale, Zander, and Tucker. Nora is involved in volleyball, gymnastics, and trapshooting. Her hobbies include shopping, spending money and doing gymnastics. Nora is good at doing hair and playing Uno during class, but not very good at showing up to sixth and seventh hours first semester. Her favorite food is tacos, and the grossest food for her is fish. Her hero is her mom because she puts up with all of her brothers’ shenanigans. After high school, Nora plans to attend Southeast Technical College for cosmetology.

 

DeShawn Jones is the son of Mariah Britton. He has six siblings: Serenity, Mya, Josiah, Eliah, Angela and Frank. DeShawn’s hobbies include driving and sports. He is good at 2K and Madden, but not very good at art. DeShawn’s favorite food is pizza, and the grossest food he ever tasted is mushrooms. His hero is Batman because he always liked Batman growing up.  After high school, DeShawn plans to go into trades.