Speech, debate win big in January

The Maryville High School speech and debate squad traveled to Lexington (Mo.) High School Jan. 5 to open its second semester of competition.  

With 18 schools at the competition and more than 70 students participating in most events, the following MHS team members took home awards:  Jackson Ackman, sixth in poetry, eighth in oratory, and eighth in extemp; Emily Meyers, fifth in humorous; and Kendra Henggeler, sixth in storytelling.

The following week, the team traveled to Fort Osage High School in Independence, where 30 schools competed.  Once again, Jackson Ackman led the team, placing fourth in oratory and going to the quarter-finals in Lincoln/Douglas debate.

On Jan. 18  and 19, the team traveled to Warrensburg (Mo.) High School to compete with 15 other schools. The team placed first in debate sweepstakes and first in individual events sweepstakes.  

Winners in debate included Emily Meyers and Mikaila Wallace, first in public forum debate; Jackson Ackman, first in Lincoln/Douglas debate; and Jonathan Rogers, second in Lincoln/Douglas debate.

Individual events winners included Jackson Ackman, first in poetry, second in prose, second in radio, and fourth in oratory; Kendra Henggeler, first in humorous, sixth in oratory, and sixth in storytelling; Emily Meyers, second in humorous, fifth in oratory, and 7seventh in storytelling; Mariah Patterson, second in dramatic and sixth in poetry; Sarah Henggeler, third in oratory and sixth in extemp; Mikaila Wallace, second in oratory; and Emily and Kendra, first in duet acting.

Savannah (Mo.) High School was the next stop on Jan. 25-26, where the team brought home the first-place power sweepstakes trophy and the third-place over-all sweepstakes trophy in competition with 12 other schools.  

David Steiner placed first overall in congress and advanced to the quarter-finals in Lincoln/Douglas debate. Jonathan Rogers finished third over-all in congress.

Other winners included:  Jackson Ackman, first in poetry, second in humorous video, third in oratory, fifth in radio; Ackman and partner B. J. Sudhoff, placed second in duo interpretation; Kendra Henggeler placed first in impromptu speaking, first in oratory, and third in humorous; Henggeler and partner Emily Meyers, placed fourth in duo interpretation; Chaz Brantley finished second in impromptu speaking and fifth in historical extemp; Emily Meyers placed fifth in humorous and sixth in radio; Sarah Henggeler placed fourth in oratory; and Anna Bagoly placed sixth in improv storytelling.  

Jackson Ackman finished the tournament by placing second in individual overall sweepstakes points, and Kendra Henggeler followed with third place.

The next outing for the squad is this weekend, where the novice team will travel to Park Hill.  Then, on Feb. 15-16, the team will go to Benton High School to compete in the Midland Empire Conference Tournament.