JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Hole High School Speech and Debate Team earned a second place finish at the Worland Invitational this past weekend.
The team finished second with 86 points while Rock Springs edged them out of the top by one point. Seventeen schools competed at the tournament. The event marked their last regular season meet.
“We are very excited to see so many team members reaching their strides right before our State and District meets, said Coach Londe Gagnon. “With our State tournament less than a week away, we will be brining the experience and confidence necessary to make a strong showing there.”
Senior and team captain Carter Worcester paired up with senior Sarah Schweitzer in Public Forum Debate where they tied with fellow Jackson teammates, juniors Alexis Hernandez and Jheili Montiel Huerta , taking first place. Sophomores Jackson and James Neishabouri missed advancing to the culminating rounds of the event based on a tiebreaker. The PF debaters spent the weekend arguing whether or not in the United States, the benefits of increasing organic agriculture outweigh the harms.
Junior Ventura Garcia Perez found success in Lincoln Douglas Debate where he placed third. He spent the weekend debating whether or not in a democracy, a free press ought to prioritize objectivity over advocacy.
Garcia Perez went on to place seventh in Congressional Debate. James Neishabouri placed third in the event while Worcester placed second. They were joined in the final round of the event by fellow teammates, freshmen Ben Moffett and Jasper Brandenburg.
Schweitzer finished in second place in Impromptu Speaking, the largest event at the tournament with 54 entries . The event proved to be a strong one for the JHHS team with senior and team captain, Will Aepli finishing in fifth place, while freshman Oscar Andersen and junior Nicole Checker reached the semi finals of the event.
Schweitzer placed fifth in Extemporaneous Speaking. Aepli placed third with Hernandez and Andersen reaching the semi finals in the event.
Montiel Huerta placed seventh in Original Oratory and Checker placed fifth in Dramatic Interpretation with her performance on the phenomena of touch starvation.
The Jackson Hole Speech and Debate Team is coached by Long and Peggy Gagnon.
