Speech and Debate team captures first place at Jackson

After hosting two successful home tournaments, the Hot Springs County High School Speech Team competed at the Worlando Beach Invitational Speech and Debate Meet on 13-14 January, hosted by Worland High School. The team placed 3rd among 1A/2A schools with 18 schools in attendance and over 350 individual entries.  The Bobcats also traveled to the Jackson Hole Speech and Debate Tournament on 20-21 January, hosted by Jackson Hole High School.  The team placed 1st among 1A/2A schools with 12 schools in attendance and over 250 individual entries.

Senior and co-team captain Karina Lea emerged as Jackson Hole tournament champion in both Editorial Commentary and Storytelling.  Sophomore Zoey Larson also captured a tournament champion medal for her first place finish in Prose at Jackson Hole.

Junior and co-team captain Julia Quintanilla continued to impress in Humorous Interpretation, finishing as a semifinalist at Jackson and in 4th place at Worland. Quintanilla was also a semifinalist in Program Oral Interpretation at Jackson.  Her Original Spoken Word Poetry performance captured 4th place at Jackson as well.  Additionally, Quintanilla teamed up with Larson for a successful Duo Interpretation which took 6th place at Worland and  broke into semifinals at Jackson Hole.

Sophomore and co-team captain Rosalie Willson continues to improve her Lincoln-Douglas Debate skills, finishing with a record of 2-2 and in the top ten debaters at both Jackson and Worland. Co-team captain and Junior Chris Bapst also finished with a 2-2 record and top ten finish in Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Worland. Bapst also finished 2nd in Big Questions Debate at Jackson with freshmen Dean Bihr right behind him in 3rd place.  Additionally, Bapst took 6th in Editorial Commentary followed closely by Willson’s 7th place finish in the same event.

Sophomore Brendon Butler and Junior Brison Steere both finished in the top fifteen in Original Oratory at both Jackson and Worland.  Junior Delayni Custer was in the top fifteen of Original Oratory competitors at Jackson as well. 

Butler teamed up with Junior Riley O’Brien in Duo Interpretation, finishing 7th at Jackson and breaking into semifinals at Worland.  O’Brien’s Jackson tournament was especially impressive.  In addition to a finals break in Duo, she finished second in Extemporaneous Debate, tied for third in Big Questions debate along with her teammate Butler, and broke into semifinals in Humor.

Sophomore Kiesha Kraushaar completed a strong tournament at Jackson with a 4th place finish in Storytelling and a 9th place finish in Original Spoken Word Poetry.  Fellow sophomore Kaleb Nelson continued to grow as a speaker, finishing in 12th place in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Head Coach Lyle Wiley has been excited by the team’s resilience and growth to start the 2022-2023 season.  “The team is really working hard and starting to gel,” said Wiley, “and the recent addition of Juniors Ben Weaver and Ivey Goff to the team will contribute to our success as well.” The team is young and learning, and Wiley is impressed by the leadership on display.  “Our captains are stepping up both as competitors and leaders,” Wiley added. 

The Bobcats look to build on their successful season at the Big Horn High School Speech and Debate Tournament this coming weekend.