Three Summerland speechsters will compete against the best of the best

Faith King, Olga Mendoza and Adrienne Parker will be among the 1,153 competitors descending on Kearney, Wednesday through Friday, for the 2023 Nebraska School Activities Association State Speech Championships at Kearney High School.

The three Bobcat speakers qualified for this week's Class C2 state competition last Wednesday, as 14 Summerland speech team members traveled to Plainview to compete in the C2-3 district speech competition.

Seven students broke finals in 10 events. Following the final round, two Bobcat performers earned gold medals and one silver, guaranteeing a chance to perform at state.

Parker placed first in persuasive; King topped the field in informative speaking; and Mendoza was awarded second place in serious prose.

District medal winners not placing in the top three qualifying slots included Mendoza, fourth, poetry interpretation; Yuliana Olivan and Alanna Doll, fourth, duet acting; King, fifth, poetry interpretation; Emma Petersson, sixth, serious prose and program oral interpretation and Carlee Livingston, sixth, entertainment speaking.

Just missing the medal round and in the seventh-place slot were Olivan in entertainment speaking, Irelyn Bearinger and Talya Nilson in duet acting, and the oral interpretation of drama team of Brandon Pruden, Bearinger, Yazlin Zermeno, Livingston and Sydni McConnell.

Also competing were the oral interpretation of drama team of Parker, Aubrey Parker, Bryna Umphress and Nilson, who were eighth and Pruden who was ninth in humorous prose.

Summerland placed third as a team behind Plainview and Crofton.

Thursday's competition is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m., with rounds two and three set to start at 11 a.m. and 1 pm. Finals competition will begin at 3:30.