Speech Team Wins District Championship
Launch the media gallery 1 playerby Samantha Hartman
The Pierce speech team went to Wayne State College on Wednesday, March 15, to compete at districts. The team placed 1st and is sending 10 entries to state.
To qualify for the state tournament, speakers had to finish in the top three of their event in finals. For Pierce, state qualifiers included Bryce Bierman and Derek Ross with 1st in Duet Acting, Chance White with 1st in Entertainment, Ethen Kuether with 2nd in Extemporaneous Speaking, and Bryce Bierman with 2nd in Humorous Prose. Also qualifying were both of Pierce’s Informative speakers: Abigail White (2nd) and Emily Simmons (3rd), as well as both Persuasive speakers: Shianna Oestreich (2nd) and Junior Aguilar (3rd). Both of Pierce’s Oral Interpretation of Drama groups also qualified for state, with the group of Aguilar, Breane Hoffman, Oestreich and Simmons finishing 1st, and the group of Dylan Delka, Grace Spieker, Macie Timm, A. White, and C. White finishing 2nd.
Also making district finals and earning medals were the duo of Janae Arens and Timm with 4th in Duet Acting, Hoffman with 4th in Serious Prose, Arens with 5th in Humorous Prose, Jordyn Bullock with 5th in Entertainment, and Morgan Crist with 5th in Poetry.
Earning superior ratings in the district competition were Bullock in Poetry, Elizabeth Harris in Serious Prose, and Katrina Meier in Extemporaneous.
Speech coach Melissa Legate said, “The district championship was a highlight of an already incredible season. I am very proud of the speech team and all the dedication they have put in this year. Hopefully, the state qualifiers can have a strong finish next week.”
The Pierce state qualifiers will head to the University of Nebraska-Kearney to compete on Thursday, March 23.
