Moorhead High speech team qualifies 13 members for national tournament
March 23, 2017
Moorhead High School speech team members Devon Solwold and Izzy Larson perform their interpretive duo selection “Birdman” for family and friends during the Speech Open House at Moorhead High School. In interpretive duo, the two participants give a 10-minute speech conveying emotion and environment through their performance techniques.
Solwold and Larson are the reigning state champions in interpretive duo, and both students placed individually at the nation’s largest speech tournament at Harvard University last month. With a win at the Brainerd meet last week, Solwold and Larson, along with 11 other Moorhead High speakers, have qualified for the National Speech & Debate Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama, in June.
National qualifiers are Alex Church in humorous, Jessica Anderson in oratory, Skyler Klostreich in dramatic duo, Abby Dahlberg in dramatic duo, Anna Larson in informative speaking, Ariana Grollman auto-qualification in humorous interp, Kenan Stoltenow in dramatic duo, Simon Beach in international extemporaneous speaking, Bridget McManamon in domestic international extemporaneous speaking, McKensie Bedore in informative speaking, Sophia Klindt in dramatic duo and humorous interpretation, Devon Solwold in dramatic duo and dramatic interp, and Izzy Larson in dramatic duo and programmed oral interp.
But before competing at the national tournament, Moorhead High’s speech team competes at the subsection and section tournaments beginning March 30 followed by the state tournament in April. Last year Moorhead’s team tied with Eagan for the 2016 state AA speech championship.
On April 6, Moorhead will seek to win its 23rd consecutive Section 8AA Speech Team Championship. A team of 49 speakers will compete in the Section 8AA Section Speech meet in hopes of continuing the record-making winning streak.
The public is invited to see some of Minnesota and the nation’s finest public speakers at the Speech Showcase on April 3. The Speech Showcase begins at 7 p.m. in the Moorhead High auditorium. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for students and includes a dessert reception.
Photo credit: Renée Grover
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