Once again, the Green River High School Speech and Debate Team came out on top.
The team did not become intimidated when they went up against Utah-based teams this weekend. With a total of 1,107 points, the team came in first; defeating Copper Hills High School, Utah, who came in second with 982 points and Rock Springs, who came in third with 694 points.
Twenty-nine schools attended the Juan Diego High School tournament, all of them were from Utah with the exception of Rock Springs and Green River.
“I am very proud of our team, we were missing almost 20 students from our roster and they still won the tournament against teams that they normally don’t compete against,” head coach Carina Stulken said. “Our team adapts well to competition against schools they are unfamiliar with.”
This is the fourth year in a row, the team has attended the Utah tournament. In the past, they have attended other Utah tourneys, which helped them prepare for the Juan Diego Tournament. The students are getting familiar with Utah’s debate style and other events and know what is expected.
“I am proud of how the team came together to win this tournament; being a champion isn’t just about doing well in rounds, it is about the way that you present yourself to others, having pride in your team and in yourself; and always striving for greatness. They support each other in numerous ways and they present themselves with dignity,” she said.
For example, during the awards ceremony, the Utah teams were not standing to cheer on the first-place winners in each category, which has become a custom in Wyoming. The Green River team still stood for each first-place winner, whether they knew them or not.
“They know the expectations of their coaches and their teammates and they constantly rise to the level of expectation we have for them and that they have set for themselves; I couldn’t be prouder of them,” Stulken said.
One student who shined at the event was Katarina Knight. Stulken said she received the speaking eagle award, which is given to the student who competes in at least three rounds and earns the most points. This is the second year in a row that Knight has received this remarkable achievement, Stulken said.
Although the team is hosting a tournament on Dec. 12 and 13, they will not compete until Dec. 19 and 20.
“The team is looking forward to the holiday break and plan to come back strong afterwards to prepare for the next tournament,” she said.
Even though there next meet isn’t for a few weeks, they will continue to practice and perfect their pieces.
“We have to continue to practice interpretation events and hold practice debates so the students can keep their skills sharp,” she said.
Juan Diego results
Novice congress: Mylynn Collins, Andrew Halverson, fourth place, Kolbi Schanzenbach, Patrick Marchal, third place
Open congress: Savannah Hook, sixth place, Alan Halverson, sixth place, Victoria Giliam, third place, JD Richardson, second place,
Novice semis impromptu: Atlin Johnson
Varsity quarters inpromptu: Maggie Fischer
Semis: Alexander Marchal, Kirstie Patterson
Storytelling semis: Sarah Sullivan, Haylee Heiner
Oratory finals: Maggie Fischer, fifth place, Kayla Gibson, third place,
Novice semis: Sarah Kropf
Duet finals: Sydney Burbank/Kayla Gibson, sixth place, Katarina Knight/Haylee Heiner, fourth place, Leslie Patterson/Reina Kropf, second place
Novice finals duet: Keston Bailey/Steven Walker, fifth place, Sarah Kropf/ Krista Boynton, third place,
Extemp commentary finals: Alexander Marchal, fourth place
Poetry quarters: Reina Kropf, Danielle Davis
Semis: Hayley Lausey, Mikki Makie, Sarah Sullivan
Finals poetry: Leslie Patterson, sixth place, Sierra Brown, fourth place, Sydney Burbank, third place, Kat Knight, first place
Novice finals poetry: Christian Smith, third place Elaine Comer, second place, Amy Grass, first place
Spar: Hayley Lausey, Kirstie Patterson, quarters
Finals: Maggie Fischer, fifth, Kirstie Patterson, second place
Semis: Patrick Harvey
Novice: Jesse Lausey, quarters
Drama finals: Sarah Sullivan, sixth place, Sydney Burbank, fifth place, novice Elaine Comer, first place
Prose finals: Sarah Sullivan and Kirstie Patterson, Katarina Knight, first place
Extemporaneous speaking: Alexander Marchal, third place
Novice: Gregory Marchal, first place
Humor: Colt Parson, fifth place, Phaedon Jones, third place,
Novice: Humor: Jesse Lausey, first place, Shelbi Jenkins, fourth place
Eagle awards : Maggie Fischer, seventh place, Kat Knight, first place
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