National Contest
2023 Medalists
2nd Place in Junior Group Exhibit
Students: Hadley Appel, Kailin Stiles-Pena and Addison Woelfel
Teacher and School: Emily Pendleton, Bettendorf Middle School
Title: The Apgar Score: Advancing the Frontier of Neonatal Medicine
3rd Place in Junior Individual Performance
Student: Raegan Reicks
Teacher and School: Michele Wilson, Harding Middle School
Title: Striding Towards Justice: How the Nuremberg Trials Were a Frontier in International Law
3rd Place in Senior Individual Website
Student: Caleb Sinnwell
Teacher and School: Suzan Turner, Nashua-Plainfield Junior/Senior High School
Title: With the Flip of a Switch on the Rural Frontier: REA Lights the Way
2023 Finalists
Junior Group Documentary (7th Place)
Students: Kalin Harman and Rex LaFrentz
Teacher and School: Patty Lien, St. Benedict’s Catholic School
Title: Pasteurization: Reshaping the Dairy Industry
Junior Group Exhibit (8th Place)
Students: Kaylie Husser and Gabrielle Wischmann
Teacher and School: Emily Pendleton, Bettendorf Middle School
Title: Margaret Sanger’s Planned Parenthood: A Frontier in Women’s Healthcare
Junior Group Performance (5th Place)
Students: Faith Martinsen, Kaylie Meinen, Kaylee Miller, Carter Moffatt and Khallie Willms
Teacher and School: Val Philips, Akron-Westfield Middle/High School
Title: Annie Wittenmyer: Leading a Frontier in Hospital Safety Conditions
Senior Group Performance (7th Place)
Students: Isaac Benscoter and Jason Strand
Teacher and School: Susan Fritzell, Marshalltown High School
Title: The Wright Brothers: Paving the Runway for Modern-Day Aeronautics by Flying Through the Frontier of Air Travel
Senior Group Website (5th Place)
Students: Grace Dietz and Alison Mehmen
Teacher and School: Suzy Turner, Nashua-Plainfield Junior/Senior High School
Title: Females in FFA: Forging New Frontiers in Farming and Beyond
Senior Group Website (9th Place)
Students: Ava Kirk and Elexa O’Neill
Teacher and School: Suzy Turner, Nashua-Plainfield Junior/Senior High School
Title: Leaving the Past Behind: The Orphan Train Forges New Frontiers for Child Welfare
Senior Individual Performance (5th Place)
Student: Landon Stanley
Teacher and School: Susan Fritzell, Marshalltown High School
Title: Pay It No Mind
2023 Special Award Winners
History of Agriculture and Rural Life Award
Senior Group Website
Students: Grace Dietz and Alison Mehmen
Teacher and School: Suzy Turner, Nashua-Plainfield Junior/Senior High School
Title: Females in FFA: Forging New Frontiers in Farming and Beyond
2023 Outstanding Entries
Junior Group Performance
Students: Faith Martinsen, Kaylie Meinen, Kaylee Miller, Carter Moffatt and Khallie Willms
Teacher and School: Val Philips, Akron-Westfield Middle/High School
Title: Annie Wittenmyer: Leading a Frontier in Hospital Safety Conditions
Senior Individual Performance
Student: Landon Stanley
Teacher and School: Susan Fritzell, Marshalltown High School
Title: Pay It No Mind
2023 Project Showcase Selections
Smithsonian National Museum of American History Exhibit Showcase
Junior Group Exhibit
Students: Hadley Appel, Kailin Stiles-Pena and Addison Woelfel
Teacher and School: Emily Pendleton, Bettendorf Middle School
Title: The Apgar Score: Advancing the Frontier of Neonatal Medicine
2023 Honorable Mentions
Honorable mentions are awarded to entries that ranked in the second place in the first round of judging.
Junior Group Documentary
Students: Kode Nielsen, Kevin Schoenfelder and Hunter Wendel
Teacher and School: Val Philips, Akron-Westfield Middle/High School
Title: Tuskegee Airmen: Frontier in the Sky
Junior Group Website
Students: Cass Moffatt, Coen Rolfes and Teygan Schram
Teacher and School: Val Philips, Akron-Westfield Middle/High School
Title: Hubble Telescope: Viewing the Space Frontier
Junior Group Website
Students: John Higman, Elijah Oetken and Eli Sickles
Teacher and School: Val Philips, Akron-Westfield Middle/High School
Title: Mayo Clinic: Revolutionizing Medicine and Patient Care
Junior Individual Documentary
Student: Lucy Wolf
Teacher and School: Emily Pendleton, Bettendorf Middle School
Title: The Burning River: How the Cuyahoga River Fires Fueled the Creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and Advanced the Frontier of Environmental Justice
Junior Individual Exhibit
Student: Jackson Neighbor
Teacher and School: Kaitlin Burke, Bettendorf Middle School
Title: The Wright Brothers: How Two Brothers Turned the Sky Into a Frontier of Human Enterprise
Senior Historical Paper
Student: Dutch Smith
Teacher and School: Deb Masker, Abraham Lincoln High School
Title: Kalevalainen: The Frontier and Innovations of Elias Lönnrot
Senior Individual Documentary
Student: Ahana Devadas
Teacher and School: Molly McConnell, Johnston Middle School
Title: Born Under Discrimination: How Jazz Became the Soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement
2023 Patricia Behring National History Day Teacher of the Year Award Finalists
Senior Division
Teacher and School: Deb Masker, Abraham Lincoln High School