Worland Speech and Debate team finishes first for 3A at Green River Tournament

WORLAND – The Worland High School Speech and Debate team took first place in Class 3A in the Green River Speech and Debate tournament that took place last month on Dec. 13-14.

According to speech and debate coach Rick Dorn, Trenton Keuntjes and Chase Johnson took first in novice policy debate. Zoe Fernandez took second in Congressional Debate, and Elizabeth Bleicher took second in novice Lincoln-Debate and fifth in novice oratory.

Dorn said that this win should be expected from a smaller tournament, as Worland was the largest team competing in 3A. He added that he is looking forward to seeing how the team will perform and place at the bigger tournaments, where he is hoping they can place in the top three.

“Our varsity students who we expect great things from are Zoe Fernandez, Madeline Martinson, Cody Butterfield, Kim Sumida, Nick Bower, Dash Lloyd, Raeth Tolman, Jade Hefenieder, Amber Vaughn and Guendylan Byrd,” Dorn said. “We have some very talented second year students, and we are hoping for good things from the novices this year.”

Fernandez and Martinson qualified in World Schools Debate for the national competition last in Dallas, Texas, that took place in mid-June. Hefenieder also qualified for the national competition with her partner Nathaniel Nelson last year in duo interpretation.

Other placers from last year at the National Qualifiers Competition that returned were Sumida, who had placed third in big question debate, and fourth alternate in cross examination debate with her partner Rachael Carver. Bower and Lloyd were third alternate in duo interpretation, and Tolman was fourth alternate in humorous interpretation.