JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The Jackson Hole High School Speech Team competed at the Rawlins Invitational Speech Meet March 1-2, hosted by Rawlins High School. The team placed second among 3A schools while Riverton placed first. A total of 15 schools attended the tournament. It was the last meet of the regular season for JHHS Speech & Debate.
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 meet just a week away, we will be bringing the experience and confidence necessary to make a strong showing there.”
Senior and team captain Leila Sandlin took home 1st place in Program Oral Interpretation with her presentation on rape culture. She went on to place 6th in Poetry Interpretation and reached semi-finals in Dramatic Interpretation.
Sophomore Josh Hansen had an impressive meet with his 1st place finish in Congressional Debate. Freshman Virginia Girling placed 4th in the event while freshman William Aepli placed 8th. Freshmen Lilly Briggs and Anna Revill reached the finals round of the event as well.
Hansen partnered with sophomore Preston Harmon in Public Forum Debate where they placed 3rd. They spent the weekend arguing both sides of whether or not the United States should promote the development of market rate housing in urban neighborhoods.
Junior River Gayton came home with a 3rd place award in Informative Speaking. Senior and team captain Samantha Smith reached semi-finals of the same event. Juniors Warren Levy and Darcy Mueller reached semi-finals in Extemporaneous Speaking.
The team’s final meets of the year hold special significance. On March 7-9, nearly 40 teams assemble in Riverton for the annual State Tournament. In two weeks, teams from the Wind River District of the National Speech and Debate Association gather in Green River to qualify selected students for the National Tournament, to be held in Dallas, Texas this June.
