By: Shar Dimick
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
Four Wauseon High School students qualified for the National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament in Dallas, TX June 14-19.
Coach Dolores Muller said Breanna Demaline, Clarissa Johnson, Brenden Kost and Cole Stiriz qualified to compete at the National Tournament at the Western Ohio District Tournament held February 20-21 at Wauseon Middle School. Of the over 250 participants at the district tournament, only two participants per category qualified. Muller said Wauseon matched their record from last year of having four students qualify for Nationals. Muller said that there will be 200-300 participants in each category at the National completion, which will be whittled down to 60 after the preliminary round.
In addition to qualifying for the National tournament, Kost, Stiriz, Demaline and Johnson also qualified for the Ohio High School Speech League State tournament along with ten other students, including Payton Black, Kennedy Gebhardt, Brooke Hardy, Corey Johnson, Blade Johnston, Olivia Ladd, Lela Slattman, Lacotus Spiess-Ebersole, Sophia Stockham and Emmalyn Wooley. These students qualified for states at the Tahre Trails District of the Ohio High School Speech League held February 7 at Sylvania High School. She said that top-speakers in each category based on a ratio moved to the state competition, which will be held in Youngstown, Ohio on March 5-7. Muller said including coaches and judges there will be 950 to 1000 participants at the state level.
Leading up to the district tournament, Muller, who has coached the team for 17 years, said that the 31-member speech and debate participated in eleven practice tournaments within and outside their district. Jason Robinson also assists Muller coaching the Wauseon speech and debate team.
Shar may be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
