State bound: speech team ready

The team has been picked; and they may be anxious, but that won’t stop them from competing to their best ability at the Wyoming Speech and Debate Tournament this weekend.

The Green River High School Speech and Debate Team closed out its regular season on a high note and is hoping that momentum can propel them into another state championship title.

Head coach Carina White announced the state team at a recent team meeting. With the team’s increasing popularity, there were more than 50 students to choose from. Those making it to state this year are Dallin Hoyt, Colt Parson, Emma Nathan and Phaedon Jones competing in humor; Kayla Gibson in oratory; Maggie Talliafero, Vabsi Ibarra, Kyle Thomas and Allyson Kloepper in public forum debate; Abby Grubb and Dallin Hoyt in Lincoln Douglas debate; Jesse Lauze, Hayley Lauze, Atlin Johnson, Victoria Allen, Patrick Marchal and Gregory Marchal in cross examination debate; Atlin Johnson, Patrick Marchal and Jesse Lauze in Congress; and Morgan Burbank, Sarah Kropf, Amy Grass, Phaedon Jones, Karlee Cutler and Lynzi Johnson in duet.

“All the 4A schools are competition. They have all had good seasons and have real strength. It is going to be close no matter what and it is going to be a very competitive tournament,” White said. “All the classes at state have strength this year.”

Even though White knows any 4A team could surprise Green River with an impressive state performance, they are really going to be watching Cheyenne East and Cheyenne Central.

“East and Central are certainly on our radar, but the other 4A schools are all a threat with only 18 entries you have to make your most strategic choices,” White said. “We are worried. This is a stressful tournament, but I trust in their ability to rise to the occasion and compete like a champion; and I know they will. No matter what happens at the end of the weekend, they have given it their all and our coaching staff is proud of them.”

The team has been working on perfecting their cases and their interpretation events.

With seven state championship titles out of the last eight years with six back-to-back titles, the team knows the other teams will be coming for them. She said any team would love to end Green River’s reign of state-championship titles.

“We want to make sure they are as prepared as they can be,” she said. “We would love to bring home some individual state titles.”

The team will leave for Buffalo Wednesday with the same goal they have always had -- bring home that state title. If they don’t, White knows how the team will react.

“They will be disappointed, I am sure, but this program is strong and they have proven that over and over,” she said.

White’s last word of advice for the team going into state is “compete in every round like it is a final round, and give it all you have.”