Speech Team advances 13 to nationals

 
The Jackson Hole High School Speech and Debate Team qualified more than a dozen competitors for the national tournament after a strong showing last week at the National Speech and Debate Association District Tournament, held online March 15-20. Qualifiers from the JHHS Team will represent the Wind River NSDA District this June at the national tournament which will be held virtually for the second year.
It’s the 24th consecutive year (34 years, overall) the team has qualified students for the national meet. In order to earn a bid to compete at the National Tournament, students must place in the top four of their event at the district tournament.
Team captain Joshua Hansen led the way at the tournament by qualifying in all four events he entered. He started off the week with Big Questions Debate. Junior William Aepli also entered the event where they argued both sides of whether or not mathematics was invented or discovered. The two Jackson debaters quickly rose to the top of the field and found themselves undefeated after the third round.
Paired against each other in the fourth round, Aepli emerged as the winner but Hansen remained in the hunt and the two debaters found themselves paired against each other again in round 6. This time Hansen emerged as the winner which meant the debaters were forced to debate each other once again in round 7 to yield the qualifier. Ultimately Hansen was crowned the champion in the event.
After the grueling head-to-head showdown, the two competitors then combine their debate efforts to team up as partners in Public Forum Debate where they finished in the top spot in the tournament. Aepli and Hansen also paired in Duo Interpretation where they finished as qualifiers as well. And, finally, both students competed in Congressional Debate, where Hansen qualified in the Senate and Aepli qualified in the House category of the event.
JHHS continued its impressive season in Congressional Debate. Junior Lily Briggs, along with sophomores Alexis Hernandez and Sophie Lamb, finished in the top spots in the event clinching their qualifier status. Sophomore Jheili Montiel Huerta showed great upcoming strength in the event as well, finishing as an alternate in the Senate.
Sophomores Julieta Anaya and Blanca Sartillo Mejia capped their season’s success in Duo Interpretation by qualifying for the National Tournament in the event. Sartillo Mejia also finished as an alternate in Program Oral Interpretation.
Junior Sarah Schweitzer moved through six rounds of International Extemp to reach her qualifier status in the event. She also teamed up with junior Carter Worcester in Public Forum Debate to reach alternate status. Briggs teamed up with senior and team captain Preston Harmon in Public Forum Debate where they finished as alternates in the event as well.
Worcester, Harmon, and freshman Jackson Neishabouri were selected as qualifiers in World Schools Debate. The three JHHS competitors will join 12 other Wyoming students to form three teams of five at the National Tournament.
Montiel Huerta was selected to compete at the National Tournament in editorial commentary. Sophomore Ventura Garcia Perez was also selected to compete at the National Tournament in Prose.
Hansen was voted the Wind River District Student of the Year. The award is presented to a graduating senior who best represents the tenets of the Association’s Code of Honor: humility, equity, integrity, respect, leadership, and service.
“Josh Hansen is a true ambassador for the Wyoming Forensics community. His devotion to his craft as a competitor and his dedication to his team is truly exemplary. Josh goes above and beyond any expectations and pushes himself to excel, while at the same time being a proactive helper to his fellow teammates and other competitors across the state,” stated a nomination letter.
Additionally, coach Londe Gagnon was named the Wind River District Coach of the Year. This award honors high school coaches who reflect outstanding leadership and commitment to speech and debate activities.
The nominating letter stated: “It is because of Londe’s relentless dedication to and love for the Wyoming Speech and Debate competitive community that she sacrificed so much time and energy helping it succeed this year. After her leadership and optimism fueled us through last year’s online state tourney, she relentlessly planned for the coming year and then worked to help plan and run online tourneys all season without significant break time. This coach is truly a model of selflessness, warmth, and professionalism.”
The JHHS team as a whole, earned first in the Congress sweepstakes at the tournament.
The 2021 Nationals will be held June 13-18. Top competitors from across the country will gather online to determine the national champion in each forensic event.
 

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