Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
National Speech and Debate qualifiers from (l to r): Chase Johnson, Kevin Abercrombe, Kim Sumida, Katherine Martinson, Tate Green, Michael Neufer, Jade Hefenieder, Raeth Tolman and Myles Lass. Not pictured: Elizabeth Bleicher and Katelynn Lowry.
WORLAND – The Worland High School Speech and Debate competed in the National Qualifiers Competition this past week from Monday March 15-20 and saw 11 students qualify for the national competition.
The 11 students who qualified for the National Competition were Jade Hefenieder and Raeth Tolman in humor, Kimberly Sumida in domestic extemporaneous speaking and cross-examination debate, Tate Green in domestic extemporaneous speaking, Chase Johnson in cross-examination debate, Elizabeth Bleicher in house and oratory, Michael Neufer in house, Myles Lass and Kevin Abercrombie qualified in world schools debate, Katherine Martinson in impromptu and Katelynn Lowry in prose.
Alternates in the event are Skylar Tharp as second alternate for oratory, August McIntosh first alternate in dramatic, Hefenieder is second alternate in program oral interpretation, Tolman is second alternate in senate, Martinson third alternate in oratory and Sumida third alternate in house.
Worland finished in third place overall for congress.
According to speech and debate head coach Rick Dorn, the team will head to Denver during the week of June 14 to do their live performances for the National Competition as well as go sightseeing and go to museums to give the students a genuine national experience since the team did not travel at all this year.
The entries for nationals will be performed live online and not be pre-recorded since the team has no duo performances.
PREMIER
DISTINCTION
Jade Hefenieder joined her teammates Raeth Tolman and Kim Sumida in reaching 1,500 points accumulated through competition and earning the Premier Distinction given by the National Speech & Debate Association. Tolman and Sumida reached that distinction earlier in the season; Sumida currently sits in second all-time for points earned at Worland High School.
Premier Distinction is the highest degree that may be reached by a student competing in speech and debate. Hefenieder becomes the 11th student to reach the distinction in school history.
