Speech Team Wins Conference!

The Bancroft-Rosalie Speech Team pulled ahead in the final round to capture a conference title Feb. 27th, in Bancroft, beating Wakefield 160-132, to win the Lewis Division of the Lewis and Clark Conference.  En route to the championship, the Panthers won seven of nine gold medals awarded.
Leading the way for the Panthers this week were J. Hennig and E. Feller who grabbed gold medals in their individual events and also won gold in their group events.  Hennig’s speech on the evolution of dating took first in entertainment, and he teamed with C. Brummond to take the gold in duet acting with a cutting from “Private Wars.”  Feller won serious prose with a cutting from “Speak” and then combined with E. Beutler and M. Wellman to take first in oral interpretation of drama with their cutting from “Once Upon a Beginning.”
Other champions for the Panthers included J. Gatzemeyer, whose presentation on prescription drug abuse edged out teammate E. Beutler on a judges’ conference tie breaker to take the gold medal.  Beutler took the silver.  M. Hermelbracht won informative with her presentation on popcorn, while R. Schmeckpeper’s poetry about Myasthenia Gravis won poetry.
C. Brummond tied for first in humorous prose but lost on a judges’ conference tie breaker and had to settle for the silver medal.  A. Raasch got second in informative, while O. Nottlemann edged out teammate A. Bailey for second in extemporaneous.  Bailey finished in third.  A. Carlson took second place in serious prose, while C. Smyth finished second in entertainment.  R. Cookman took third in poetry, while A. Brummond took the bronze in humorous prose.  T. Ostrand, J. Gatzemeyer, M. Hermelbracht, A. Carlson, and A. Bailey added a fourth-place finish in oral interpretation of drama.  Duet actors C. Smyth and W. Larson took fifth place.
“I was really pleased with our speakers’ performances,” said Coach Ronda Ras.  “Wakefield is always tough competition, and we were neck-and-neck going into finals.  I was glad to see our kids rise to the challenge. “
As preparation for conference, the Panthers hosted a public performance Monday, Feb. 22.  Team members shared their presentations with family and friends in a non-competitive atmosphere.  “It’s nice for the kids to just perform for fun,” Ras said.
The Panthers will host district competition in Bancroft March 8, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  The contest is open to the public.
Ras encouraged community members to come out and see the variety of speeches to be showcased at the district.  “We have more than 100 students scheduled to compete, and there should be something for everyone,” she commented.  
Assistant Coach Anita Bray added, “We are in a really tough district, so we’re hoping for the home crowd to help pull us through.”