GRHS Speech and Debate team celebrates multiple victories

Arguing their way to victory, the Green River High School Speech and Debate team has been working hard this season, and seeing their efforts pay off.

The team competed in two tough tournaments before Christmas, traveling to Lander on December 13 and 14 and to Cheyenne December 20 and 21. They got back into competition for the new year this past weekend, traveling to Worland and bringing home another win.

The Lander-Wyoming Speech and Debate Tournament was hosted by Lander and Rawlins High Schools, and saw fierce competition from schools across the state. Green River was able to capture the coveted first place in the 3A division, as well as seeing multiple top finishes in individual results and several students earning top honors in their respective categories.

"We are incredibly proud of our team's hard work and commitment," Assistant Coach Diane Kurth said after the Lander win. "This victory reflects their passion for speech and debate, as well as their ability to rise to the challenge of such a competitive tournament."

The team faced even more challenging competition at the prestigious Cheyenne East Holiday Classic days before Christmas. Green River was able to secure third place overall in the 3A division. The team also had several individuals with top finishes in their categories, and Silas Chetterbock and MaKynzee Bagshaw earned coveted NIETOC (National Individual Event Tournament of Champions) bids, marking them as some of the top competitors in the nation.

Head Coach Jericho Morrell praised the team's dedication and hard work, stating, "Our team showed incredible skill and sportsmanship at the Holiday Classic. We are extremely proud of all of our students for their achievements, and this tournament was a great way to cap off the first half of our season. The NIETOC bids for Silas and MaKynzee are a testament to their commitment and talent."

The team's trip to Worland this past weekend demonstrated that they are ready to continue working hard and achieving more victories. Competing against 16 schools with 278 total entries, Green River was able to secure a 1st place finish in 3A. In addition to multiple top finishes in individual categories once again, Bekalyn Swett was honored with the Triple Threat Award for competing in at least three events and earning the most points for the team.

"We are incredibly proud of our team's accomplishments at this tournament," Coach Morrell said. "Our students demonstrated not only skill and passion in their events but also an impressive level of sportsmanship. They've worked hard all season, and it's rewarding to see them achieve such great results."

The team also recently celebrated team member James Leffers, who has achieved the rank of Premier Distinction in the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).

"Less than 3% of NSDA competitors earn that distinction. It requires them to get 1500 points in their high school career," a post on the team's Facebook page explained. "This is a huge achievement."

With a combination of seasoned debaters and talented newcomers this year, the GRHS Speech and Debate team is poised for continued excellence in future competitions.