CROFTON – The Wausa High School speech team spoke its way to its second consecutive runner-up finish of the 2024 season.
Wausa, which placed second at its own invitational on Feb. 10, scored 42 points and finished as the runner-up on Feb. 17 behind Crofton Speech Invitational champion Hartington-Newcastle and its 64 points.
Finishing behind Hartington-Newcastle and Wausa in the top five of the 10-team meet were Osmond with 36 points, host Crofton with 25 points and Cedar Catholic with 17 points.
Husband-and-wife duo Kyle and Samantha Stevens are the co-coaches of the Wausa speech team.
“We are really proud of the way the kids have competed to this point,” Kyle Stevens said. “This next week will be important as we prepare for the Creighton meet, conference and districts. Mrs. Stevens and I both look forward to getting quality practices in order to continue to compete at our highest potential.”
Wausa’s medal winners were: - Sophomore Braydon Hoesing and freshman Rogan Hoesing, second place, Duet Acting.
- Senior Holly Johnson, second place, Entertainment Speaking.
- Senior Holly Johnson, second place, Serious Prose.
- Sophomore Braydon Hoesing, third place, Humorous Prose.
- Senior Sophia Wilken, third place, Serious Prose.
- Senior Addison Wynia, fourth place, Informative Speaking.
- Senior Holly Johnson, senior Claire Kumm, senior Cade Wakeley, junior Kendall Story and sophomore Avery Stevens, fourth place, Oral Interpretation of Drama.
- Sophomore Avery Stevens, fourth place, Persuasive Speaking.
- Sophomore Braydon Hoesing, fourth place, Program of Oral Interpretation.
- Sophomore Luke Woockman, fifth place, Entertainment Speaking.
- Freshman Rogan Hoesing, fifth place, Informative Speaking.
- Junior Kendall Story, fifth place, Serious Prose.
- Senior Hadley Vanness, sophomore Cody Bloomquist, sophomore Taylor Dawson, sophomore Alijah Nelson and sophomore Gaven Nipp, sixth place, Oral Interpretation of Drama.
The Creighton Invitational will be the next competition for Wausa on March 2.
Two days later, Wausa will travel to Osmond for the Lewis and Clark Conference Speech Contest.
