JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The Jackson Hole High School Speech and Debate Team added a first place sweepstakes trophy to their 2017-2018 season. The Jackson team was stellar last weekend at the Star Valley Speech Tournament.
JHHS Speech and Debate, under the coaching of Londe Gagnon and Peggy Gagnon, had 28 individual final advancements and five competitors that ‘tripled’ at the tournament by placing in all three events they were competing in. Jackson won the tournament, earning 122 sweepstakes points. Six schools were in attendance.
Team captain Ellie Dunn led the way with a 3rd place finish in Humorous Interpretation and a 4th place finish in Extemporaneous Speaking. She went on to partner with junior Thomas Mercer in Duet Interpretation where the pair finished in 2nd place.
Senior Aaron Scher also tripled at the tournament. He finished in 4th place in Poetry Interpretation and 3rd place in Extemporaneous Speaking. He later partnered with freshman Trey Dykeman in PF Debate, arguing whether or not the current authorization for use of military force gives too much power to the President. Scher and Dykeman, along with team captain, Aaron Trauner and junior Samantha Smith tied for 1st place in the event, “closing out” the finals.
Trauner continued his successful season in Extemporaneous Speaking, placing 1st. Dykeman joined Trauner, Scher, and Dunn in finals of the event where he placed 5th. Dykeman maintained his triple threat status once again with a 4th place finish in Impromptu.
Junior Leila Sandlin proved her poetic prowess with a 1st place finish. Freshman Hyla Chatham placed 3rd while junior Alisha Vinson took home 6th in the same event. Sandlin grabbed 3rd place honors in Program Oral Interpretation with her selections exploring fame. Mercer took home the 1st place medal in the event with his compilation about adventure.
Mercer went on to show his expertise in Congressional Debate with a 7th place finish. Smith placed 2nd in the event while freshman Josh Hansen finished in 1st. Sophomore Jake Todd started his triple threat run with his 6th place award in the event. He continued with a 4th place finish in Original Oratory and rounded out the weekend by placing 1st in Dramatic Interpretation with his presentation of “The Obsolete Man” by Rod Serling.
Sophomore River Gayton placed 6th in Original Oratory. She added to her success in Informative Speaking with a 2nd place finish. She was followed by Smith in 4th and freshman Jacqueline Neishabouri in 5th. Neishabouri also did well in Impromptu where she finished in 5th. Rounding out the individual finishes, Vinson placed 7th in Humorous Interpretation and sophomore Josie Campbell placed 5th in Dramatic Interpretation.
The Jackson team travels to Worland this coming weekend. This will be their final regular season meet before their State and Districts tournaments coming up in the next three weeks.
