Speech team finds success in lead-up to district competition

Summerland "speechsters" earned four medals at the Creighton Speech Invite, held Friday, Feb. 17.

Champs finals medal winners included Faith King, third, informative speaking and poetry interpretation; Olga Mendoza, third, serious prose and Yuliana Olivan, fourth, entertainment speaking.

Award winners in the next-in division included Brandon Pruden, fourth, humorous prose; Carlee Livingston, fourth, entertainment speaking and Adrienne Parker, Audrey Parker, Talya Nilson and Olivan, fourth, oral interpretation of drama.

Coach Julie Harley said the team tied with Creighton for seventh place. Plainview claimed the team title, followed by West Holt, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Bloomfield, Pender and Homer.

Other teams competing were Stanton, Niobrara, Lutheran High Northeast, Norfolk Catholic and Elkhorn Valley.

On Feb. 24, 13 members of the speech team competed at the Lutheran High Northeast invitational speech meet.

The team placed sixth behind Battle Creek, West Holt, Elgin Pope John, O'Neill and Hartington Cedar Catholic.

Other teams competing included Norfolk Catholic, Elgin Public, Elkhorn Valley, Lutheran High Northeast, Boyd County, and Riverside.

Bringing home hardware were Olivan, second, entertainment speaking; Adrienne Parker, fourth, persuasive speaking; Irelyn Bearinger and Nilson, fourth, duet acting; and Livingston, Yazlin Zermeno, Bearinger, Sydni McConnell and Pruden, sixth, OID.

Harley said, "Just one place out of making finals were King in informative speaking and Olivan and Alanna Doll in duet acting.

Also competing were Doll in persuasive speaking; Livingston, entertainment speaking; Mendoza, serious prose and poetry; Pruden, humorous prose; King, poetry; and Nilson, Aubrey Parker, Adrienne Parker and Brynna Umphress, oral interpretation of drama.