9 Students packing for trip to state speech
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe Bancroft-Rosalie Speech Team outscored Leigh 355-255 to claim the D2-2 District championship last week in Howells. Enroute to the win, B-R brought home 13 district medals and qualified nine students in nine events for state.
Seniors Kylita Gomez, Suzanne Ras, Brianna Wegner and Ian Nottlemann and junior Austin Bruning each brought home one gold and one silver medal to lead the Panthers. Gomez won persuasive with her presentation on increasing music in education and took second with her informative speech on duck tape. Ras topped Gomez on a tiebreaker in informative to take top honors with her speech on the Eiffel Tower and then added a silver medal in humorous prose with her cutting from “Once Upon a Beginning” by Eugene Perry.
Wegner won serious prose with a cutting from “And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson” by Jim Leonard Jr., and then added a silver medal in persuasive with her speech on decreasing reliance on standardized tests for college admission and scholarships.
Nottlemann and Bruning combined with Jerrica Tietz, Chase Bonsall and Kylee Cole to win oral interpretation of drama with a cutting from R. Eugene Jackson’s dramatization of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The two also took the silver in duet acting, falling one point short of Leigh on the tiebreaker with their presentation of “Spies” by David J. LeMaster.
Aaron Ras was the final state qualifier for B-R, taking third place in extemporaneous speaking. Jaeliesa Switzer grabbed two medals, finishing just short of a state berth in fourth place in serious prose. Switzer also teamed up with Derek Ahlers, Kennedy Schuttler, Anna Currier and Teagan Steinmeyer to take sixth place in oral interpretation of drama. Wyatt Hennig also brought home two medals, finishing sixth in entertainment and in duet acting with partner Tess Nottlemann.
“With several teams from a pretty good distance, we weren’t sure what to expect in this district,” said coach Ronda Ras. “We knew Leigh would be tough because we see them several times throughout the year, and we knew that Hampton and Lindsey Holy Family placed high in last year’s state competition, so we knew we needed to prepare well. I was proud of how the whole team stepped up. It’s great to take a bunch to state, but we couldn’t have brought home a plaque without everyone contributing.”
Ras also commented on her appreciation for all the support from parents, staff and community members throughout the season.
“It’s great to be in a school where speech gets the same kind of respect that athletic teams do. I think it’s amazing that our kids can be playing basketball or cheerleading in Pinnacle Arena on Saturday and bringing home speech medals on Tuesday. When we can all support each other like that, our kids get a well-rounded experience, and I’m proud of that.”
B-R’s nine state qualifiers will compete in Kearney on Friday at starting at 9:30 a.m. For their trip to state, team members designed shirts celebrating their district win and honoring the memories of former assistant coach June Hawk and bus driver Doak Wegner, who both passed away this year.