WAUSA – The Wausa High School speech team successfully spoke itself into a top-three finish at its home meet on Feb. 10.
Wausa scored 32 points and placed third overall out of 14 teams in the varsity standings of the 2024 Wausa Speech Invitational. Wayne took home the team title with 50 points, while Hartington-Newcastle placed second with 38 points.
In the junior varsity team standings, Wausa placed third overall behind Wayne and Plainview.
Husband-and-wife duo Kyle and Samantha Stevens are the co-coaches of the Wausa speech team.
“We had some events take a step forward this week,” Kyle Stevens said. “We both are pleased with our performance and our progress. As the season progresses, it will be fun to see where we can take this team.”
Wausa’s varsity medal winners were: - Senior Claire Kumm, first place, Persuasive Speaking.
- Senior Holly Johnson, first place, Serious Prose, and fifth place, Entertainment Speaking.
- Sophomore Braydon Hoesing, second place, Program of Oral Interpretation, and second place, Humorous Prose.
- Senior Addison Wynia, third place, Inf ormative Speaking.
- Senior Holly Johnson, senior Claire Kumm, senior Cade Wakeley, junior Kendall Story and sophomore Avery Stevens, fifth place, Oral Interpretation of Drama.
- Sophomore Alijah Nelson, sixth place, Humorous Prose.
- Senior Hadley Vanness, sophomore Cody Bloomquist, sophomore Taylor Dawson, sophomore Alijah Nelson and sophomore Gaven Nipp, sixth place, Oral Interpretation of Drama.
Wausa’s junior varsity medal winners were: - Junior Kendall Story, first place, Serious Prose. - Freshman Noel Kumm, first place, Persua sive Speaking.
- Freshman Elle Brazel, second place, Persua sive Speaking.
- Freshmen Elle Brazel, Carlie Kleinschmit, Brady Kristensen, Noel Kumm and Jaidynn Timmerman, third place, Oral Interpretation of Drama.
- Freshman Brady Kristensen, fourth place, Entertainment Speaking.
- Freshman Carlie Kleinschmit, fourth place, Poetry.
Wausa’s next speech meet is set for Feb. 17 at Crofton.
