JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Hole High School Speech Team, in its last regular season meet, competed at the Worland Invitational Speech Meet last weekend. The team placed 2nd among 3A schools. They finished with 50 sweepstakes points compared to first place Riverton’s 71 points. Twenty schools attended the tournament.
Coach Londe Gagnon commented, “We are very excited to see so many team members reaching their strides right before our State and District meets. With our State tournament less than a week away, we will be bringing the experience and confidence necessary to make a strong showing there.”
Senior and team captain, Warren Levy competed in six rounds of Lincoln Douglas Debate where he argued whether or not predictive policing is unjust. Due to the large number of contestants in the event, students had to go undefeated through the preliminary and semi-final rounds in order to advance. In the final round, Warren placed 2nd based on a 2-1 decision from the judges.
Juniors Josh Hansen and Preston Harmon, along with sophomores Jesiah Coates and Carter Worcester, competed in Public Forum Debate where they debated whether or not the United States should increase its use of nuclear energy for commercial energy production. They, too, had to go undefeated in preliminary rounds in order to advance. Both teams won their semi-final round and tied for 1st place in the event, closing out the finals.
Levy went on to place 2nd in Extemporaneous Speaking where he was joined by senior Maleah Tuttle who finished 6th. Senior and team captain Darcy Mueller joined Harmon in the semi-final round of the event. Tuttle also made it to the semi-final round of both Impromptu and Program Oral Interpretation.
Sophomore Nayeli Hernandez Lopez had an impressive meet with her 2nd place finish in Original Oratory with her work on the impacts of immigration laws.
The Jackson squad again showed strength in Congressional Debate. Sophomore William Aepli placed 2nd with Hansen close behind finishing in 3rd. Worcester made it to the final round of the event as well. Coates and sophomore Lily Briggs narrowly missed the break for the final round of the event.
The team’s final meets of the year hold special significance. On March 12-14, nearly 40 teams will assemble in Green River for the annual State Tournament. In two weeks, teams from the Wind River District of the National Speech and Debate Association gather in Rock Springs to qualify selected students for the National Tournament, to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico this June.
