The Webb City High School speech and debate team pulled together to compete in not one, but two tournaments last week (Feb. 15 – 21), at Nixa and Pembroke Hill.

There are drawbacks but advantages, as well, with virtual competitions, says coach Tiffany Bolin. “Because we have been virtual this year we have been able to compete with schools across the nation instead of just those locally in our home state. It has been quite the experience.”

Students compete by pre-recorded video during the week in the preliminary rounds. Then they compete live on Zoom on the weekends. 

Among the recent highlights, Bolin calls attention to Henry Angér receiving a bid to the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions this summer. The novice (first-year competitors) placed third in sweeps at Nixa.

Chloe Ingle and Noah Millman were Nixa tournament champions, in storytelling and poetry, respectively.

Bolin notes that the team has had 11 tournament champions so far this season. It was Ingle’s fifth championship and marks the 10th tournament in a row where she has broken into the finals round. In fact, Bolin says, at Nixa she broke to finals in each of the three categories she entered. 

Seperately from the tournaments, Anger has placed first in the Zone III state semifinals of the American Legion’s 87th Annual National High School Oratorical Scholarship Program. He’ll go on to compete at the state level, with a chance to go on to the national level.

NIXA results (26 schools, 374 entries)

Finalists:

• Chloe Ingle, first in storytelling, second in program oral interpretation, fifth in dramatic interpretation.
• Noah Millman, first in poetry.
• Keira McDonald, fourth in poetry.
• Paige Wood, fourth in prose.

Semifinalists:

• Chloe Ingle, first in storytelling, third in POI, third in dramatic interpretation.
• Paige Wood, third in prose, sixth in POI.
• Noah Millman, third in poetry.
• Keira McDonald, third in poetry.
• Tyler Shields, fourth in radio.
• Hayes Pearce, fourth in dramatic interpretation, fifth in poetry.

National Speech and Debate Degrees earned:

• Gracie Friedrichsen, degree of merit (25 points).
• Paige Wood, degree of honor (75 points).

The novice team took third in sweepstakes.

PEMBROKE HILL (24 schools, 292 entries)

Finalists:

• Henry Angér, third in humorous interpretation.

Semifinalists:

• Henry Angér, third in humorous interpretation.
• Henry Angér and Rees Massoth, fourth in duo interpretaion.
• Evan Garrison, sixth in U.S. Extemporaneous.
• Annie Marie Wright, sixth in humorous interpretation.

Debate wins:

• Silas Drake, Lincoln Douglas debate, two.
• Evan Garrison, Lincoln Douglas debate, two.
• Kollin Tallent and Sophia Booher, public forum debate, two.
• Brayden Brockmiller, Lincoln Douglas debate, one.

NSDA degrees:

• Evan Garrison, degree of superior distinction (750 points).
• Anne Marie Wright, degree of honor (75 points).