President John F. Kennedy once said, “The only reason to give a speech is to change the world.”
Kentucky students from Fort Knox to Fort Mitchell took their first steps toward this goal over the weekend in the annual Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) Regional Speech Tournaments.
Kentucky’s seven Regions hold tournaments at both the Junior and Senior levels each year. Each Division qualifies students for the Junior State Speech Tournament (grades 4-8) – coming February 27 and 28 in Florence – and for the Senior State Speech Tournament (grades 9-12) – March 13 and 14 in Murray.
At each Regional contest, Regional Champions and Runners Up are named in each of the twelve Junior and fourteen Senior speech categories. Additionally, team awards are given for the top three teams in each of the Regions.
Fourteen teams competed in the Northern/River Region, held at Beechwood High School and managed by Molly Seifert, Regional Manager of the Kentucky High School Speech League and Forensics Team coach at Beechwood.
The fourteen teams were Beechwood High School, Beechwood Middle School, Boone County High School, Cooper High School, Dixie Heights High School, Grant County High School, Grant County Middle School, Great Crossing High School, Highlands High School, Highlands Middle School, Holy Cross High School, Ryle High School, Scott County High School, and Williamstown High School.
The winners were:
Junior Division Team Award:
• 1st place: Beechwood Middle School
• 2nd place: Highlands Middle School
• 3rd place: Grant County Middle School
Junior Division Individual Event Winners:
• Radio Broadcasting
◦ 1st place: Jasper Bunte, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Eric Tafirenyika, Beechwood Middle School
• Declamation:
◦ 1st place: Emery Gentry, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Zachary Wambaja, Beechwood Middle School
• Dramatic Interpretation:
◦ 1st place: Cameron Johnson, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Sophia Noah, Highlands Middle School
• Duo Acting
◦ 1st place: Emmy Auciello & Avery Orocio, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Celia Koch & Emery Gentry, Beechwood Middle School
• Humorous Interpretation
◦ 1st place: Parker Klopp, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Sophia Noah, Highlands Middle School
• Impromptu Speaking
◦ 1st place: Seth Paulson, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Carys Hildebrant, Beechwood Middle School
• Improvisational Duo
◦ 1st place: Olivia Davis & Cameron Johnson, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Harper Luebbers & Sophia Noah, Highlands Middle School
• Original Oratory
◦ 1st place: Olivia Davis, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Carys Hildebrant, Beechwood Middle School
• Poetry
◦ 1st place: Ada-Lynn Ballou, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Celia Koch, Beechwood Middle School
• Prose
◦ 1st place: Rose Paulson, Beechwood Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Brett Pfaehler, Beechwood Middle School
• Storytelling
◦ 1st place: Harper Luebbers, Highlands Middle School
◦ 2nd place: Olivia Davis, Beechwood Middle School
Senior Division Team Award:
• 1st place: Highlands High School
• 2nd place Beechwood High School
• 3rd place: Boone County High School
Senior Division Division Individual Event Winners:
• Radio Broadcasting
◦ 1st place: Nathaniel Reeves, Scott County High School
◦ 2nd place: Bella Slone, Beechwood High School
• Declamation:
◦ 1st place: Mallory Bachmann, Williamstown High School
◦ 2nd place: Liesel Nader, Beechwood High School
• Dramatic Interpretation:
◦ 1st place: Riley Watson, Ryle High School
◦ 2nd place: Maren Platt, Beechwood High School
• Duo Interpretation
◦ 1st place: Emil Sztanyo & Megan Daly, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Evelyn Lewis & Steven Woods, Boone County High School
• Extemporaneous Speaking
◦ 1st place: James Owen Taylor, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Aiden Seiter, Boone County High School
• Humorous Interpretation
◦ 1st place: Emil Sztanyo, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Jordan Cox, Boone County High School
• Impromptu Speaking
◦ 1st place: Hannah Smith, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Nathaniel Reeves, Scott County High School
• Improvisational Duo
◦ 1st place: Noah Varland & Jacob Hagerty, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Harris Schultz & Carson Schulte, Highlands High School
• Informative Speaking
◦ 1st place: Coen Yap, Beechwood High School
◦ 2nd place: Prisha Shaw, Ryle High School
• Original Oratory
◦ 1st place: Naina Adari, Ryle High School
◦ 2nd place: Maddie Bottomley, Highlands High School
• Poetry
◦ 1st place: Liesel Nader, Beechwood High School
◦ 2nd place: Chloe Kuebel, Beechwood High School
• Programmed Oral Interpretation
◦ 1st place: Jordan Cox, Boone County High School
◦ 2nd place: Guage Golji, Dixie Heights High School
• Prose
◦ 1st place: Charlotte Weghorst, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Isaach Paulson, Beechwood High School
• Storytelling
◦ 1st place: Carson Schulte, Highlands High School
◦ 2nd place: Isaac Paulson, Beechwood High School
Kentucky High School Speech League