Host Wooster H.S. takes third in the state speech and debate tournament
By Karen Skubik
March 7, 2014
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As March roared in, 873 students from all corners of the state rumbled into Edgewood Middle School and Wooster High School to compete in the two-day Ohio High School Speech League state final on Feb. 28 and March 1. According to coach Holly Humes Custer, Wooster last hosted the state tournament 12 years ago.
Wooster placed third overall in the team sweepstakes out of the 74 high schools present. Placing first was Hawken School in Cleveland, while Solon High School captured second place.
Athletes arent the only ones who appreciate the benefits of hosting their statewide competition. To be in tip-top form and meet the physical, mental, and emotional demands of an important speech and debate tournament, competitors need to be well rested and confident. Of course, its nice that our students can sleep in their own beds, and have the home-field advantage, Custer said. Unfortunately, its a lot of work for the parents and the coaches. As coaches, we not only have to work with our students to prepare them, but we have to make sure that everything else is lined up - buildings, rooms, buses, food, parents.
The Wooster Speech and Debate Team coaches successfully met the demands of orchestrating this years state tournament and were quick to thank others, including the teams Parents Association and school administration and support staff. This year, the College of Wooster also became a sponsor of the tournament, Custer said. I think its incredible that these higher learning institutions have taken an interest in our students and it is such a benefit to the league to have their support.
Although those planning a speech and debate state tournament need to deal with large numbers of competitors, the number of volunteers needed for a forensic event is unusual. With 14 different categories of competition taking place simultaneously, almost every classroom in Woosters middle and high school was required during the preliminary rounds of the event. Terry Snoddy, co-president of the Wooster Speech and Debate Team Parents Association said, We actually have over 100 time slots to fill for various volunteer jobs. And then there were approximately 200 additional volunteer judges and chaperones provided by the visiting schools.
Thirty-four members of the Wooster team qualified for 11 categories in the state tournament this year. Custer said, Our students have worked extremely hard this season, setting goals for themselves and striving to achieve them. We truly have some of the hardest-working, most dedicated students. Paige Clayton, a WHS student who successfully advanced to the quarter finals in United States Extemporaneous Speaking said, Its a lot to commit to in reference to the many hours put into both after school practice and at-home research.
Although each speech and debate category has its own method for advancing competitors from preliminary rounds through to finals, local competitors dominated many of the semi final and final rounds. Individual results of Wooster competitors who moved beyond the preliminary rounds are:
United States Extemporaneous Speaking - Mary Grace Gorman, fifth place
International Extemporaneous Speaking - Paige Clayton advanced to quarter finals (top 24)
Oratorical Interpretation - Amanda Petit advanced to quarter finals (top 24)
Dramatic Interpretation - Matt Friedhoff, sixth place
Prose Poetry Reading - Hannah Doan, third place; Alex Hasapis, eighth place
Duo Interpretation - Tom Myers and Zack Buchholz, 11th place; Scott and Storm Nicholson advanced to quarter finals (top 24)
Congressional Debate - Taylor Bennington, third place; David Burnett, fifth place
Lincoln Douglas Debate - Peter Gooch advanced to double octa-finals (top 16)
Public Forum Debate - Han Mahle and Kenny Kalikasingh advanced to partial double octa-finals (top 22)
Policy Debate - Joseph Gorman and Ben Snoddy advanced to semi finals (top 4); Brooke Hemphill and Liz Keller advanced to quarter finals (top 8). Gorman won the Phyllis Barton Speaker Award (top policy speaker in the state).
