The Coaler Speech team traveled to Bloomington High School on Dec. 6 for its first tournament of the season and it was a good day for the Coalers who sent 30 of 57 total entries into the final round. The Coalers returned home with four individual tournament champions and the team championship, winning by 46 points.
The team of Caroline Childers and Lexi Dearth were first in dramatic duet acting [DDA], Jordan Olson was the dramatic interpretation [DI] champion and Mason Hamilton took first place in humorous interpretation [HI] for the varsity team. In the Novice Tournament champions were Cora Armstrong and Lexi Dearth in humorous duet acting [HDA].
Earning varsity medals were—
• Theo Fritz and Mason Hamilton, second place, dramatic duet acting
• Tess Jeschke, second, oratorical declamation
• Brady Pierson, second, original comedy
• Penny D’Arcy, second, prose
•Xavier Baer, second, radio speaking
• Jacob Cimino, third, informative speaking; fourth, extemporaneous speaking, and sixth, special occasion speaking
• Gabby VanDuyne and Theo Fritz, fourth, humorous duet acting
• Jaiden Leman, fifth, extemporaneous speaking and sixth, original comedy
• Juliet Covington, fifth, original comedy
Varsity finalists were Gabby VanDuyne, dramatic interpretation; Grey Vanek, humorous interpretation; Jaiden Leman, informative speaking; Xavier Baer, informative speaking, and Jolene Jones, poetry.
In the novice category, medal winners were—
• Xavier Baer, second, radio speaking
• Penny D’Arcy, second, prose and fourth, humorous interpretation
• Brady Pierson, second original comedy
• Jolene Jones, third, special occasion speaking
• Charlotte Banks, third, dramatic interpretation
• Abi Rose, third, extemporaneous speaking
• Emma Sinkular, fourth, oratorical declamation and sixth, informative speaking
• Abi Rose and Brady Pierson, fourth, humorous duet acting
• Cora Armstong, fifth, oratorical declamation
• Kendall Shute, fifth, original oratory