State Speech and Debate Tournament Hosted in Wooster

  • By: Karen Skubik
  • March 4, 2014
  • 398
                        
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. According to coach Holly Humes Custer, “Last time we hosted State was 12 years ago.” As winter sports wrap up, traditional athletes aren’t 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. Custer noted, “Of course, it's nice that our students can sleep in their own beds, and have the "home-field" advantage.” However, Custer continued, “Unfortunately, it's 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, etc. “ The Wooster Speech and Debate team coaches successfully met the demands of orchestrating this year’s state tournament and were quick to thank others including the team’s Parents Association and school administration and support staff. Also according to Custer, “This year, the College of Wooster also became a sponsor of the Tournament. I think it's 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 account for large numbers of competitors just like a state-level swim meet or basketball game, the great number of volunteers needed for a forensic event is unusual. With fourteen different categories of competition taking place simultaneously, almost every classroom in Wooster’s middle and high schools were 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. 34 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, “It’s a lot to commit to” in reference to the many hours put into both after school practice and at-home research. Wooster placed third overall in the Team Sweepstakes out of the 74 high schools present. Placing first was Hawken School, a private school in Cleveland, while Solon High School captured second place. 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 that moved beyond the preliminary rounds are as follows: United States Extemporaneous Speaking - Mary Grace Gorman, 5th place International Extemporaneous Speaking - Paige Clayton advanced to Quarters (top 24) Oratorical Interpretation - Amanda Petit advanced to Quarters (top 24) Dramatic Interpretation - Matt Friedhoff, 6th place Prose Poetry Reading - Hannah Doan, 3rd place; Alex Hasapis, 8th place Duo Interpretation - Tom Myers & Zack Buchholz, 11th place; Scott & Storm Nicholson advanced to Quarters (top 24) Congressional Debate - Taylor Bennington, 3rd place; David Burnett, 5th place Lincoln Douglas Debate - Peter Gooch advanced to Double Octa-Finals (top 16) Public Forum Debate - Han Mahle & Kenny Kalikasingh advanced to Partial Double Octa-Finals (top 22) Policy Debate - Joseph Gorman & Ben Snoddy advanced to Semis (top 4); Brooke Hemphill & Liz Keller advanced to Quarters (top 8); Joseph Gorman won the Phyllis Barton Speaker Award (top policy speaker in the state) It takes a dedicated community to not only pull off an event of this size, but to repeatedly produce a winning team. The community can be proud. In the words of one of Wooster’s coaches, Holly Humes Custer, “Wow! Great weekend for us!”


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load