The Great Bend High School Forensics Team brought home the First Place Team Sweepstakes Award at the West Kansas District National Individual Events Qualifier on, April 11-12, hosted at Newton High School. After months of preparation, 15 students earned the right to compete and represent the Panthers at the two-day tournament.
Leading the charge was senior Darcy Feist, who claimed the district championship in Original Oratory with her compelling piece on America’s obsession with selfies. Her powerful delivery not only earned her the top spot in the event, but her fourth ticket to the National Speech & Debate Tournament. I believe she is the first student ever from Great Bend to qualify for the National tournament all four years of her high school career.
Feist wasn’t the only Panther to dominate the oratory field. Three of the six finalists in Original Oration were from Great Bend. Senior Reese King finished in 3rd place, earning 1st alternate to Nationals, and sophomore Kendra Scheideman followed closely behind in 4th place.
Quinton Heath, a junior, also qualified for nationals in Dramatic Interpretation, earning 3rd place with his powerful and original interpretation of the novel “Mysterious Skin” by Hutchinson native Scott Heim. This will be his second time competing at the national tournament.
Earlier in the season, Parker Coleman earned 2nd alternate in Senate Congressional Debate and 3rd alternate in Big Questions Debate. His leadership and debate skills were recognized this past weekend when district coaches selected him to represent West Kansas on the World Schools Debate team at Nationals.
Also earning spots to the National tournament in Supplemental events are seniors Reese King and Anna Bitter. Reese will compete with an Expository speech and Anna will create an Original Spoken Word Poem for the competition.
Several other Panthers delivered finalist performances. Darcy Feist placed 3rd in Program of Oral Interpretation and is first alternate in this event. Anna Bitter placed 5th in Program of Oral Interpretation. In Duo Interpretation, senior Steven Guillory and Quinton Heath brought home 4th place medals and Ellie Damm and Anna Bitter finished sixth.
Six students placed in the top eight of their events. Parker Coleman took 7th in International Extemp. Samantha Negaard placed 8th in Dramatic Interpretation, while Kendra Scheideman and Ailey Williams tied for 8th in Humorous Interpretation. Reese King placed 8th in Informative Speaking, and Zachary Hart finished 8th in International Extemp.
Other Panthers who contributed to the team included Rhys Froetschner and Kyra Lewis, who tied for 9th place in Domestic Extemp. Mark Sperlein placed 10th in International Extemp, while Steven Guillory and Hunter McClanahan placed 12th and 14th respectively in Informative Speaking.
In addition, before the tournament began district students were recognized for their dedication and excellence. Reese King and Quinton Heath were honored with the Degree of Premier Distinction plaques, the highest honor bestowed by the National Speech & Debate Association.
“These students put in countless hours perfecting their performances, and their success this weekend reflects that dedication,” said the GBHS coach Kim Heath. “Every single student brought something meaningful to the tournament, whether they advanced or not, and the growth and resilience they’ve shown this season are just as impressive as the trophies we have earned.
This past weekend, April 26, select students traveled to the Kansas City area for the prestigious Forensics Coaches Invitational, where top qualifiers from all KSHSAA classifications performed. Qualification for the tournament was contingent upon earning a state championship berth accompanied by multiple additional high placements and/or qualification to a national tournament. The Great Bend team achieved remarkable success, earning both the FCI Tournament Sweepstakes and the Season-Wide FCI Team Sweepstakes Championship titles. During the luncheon showcase, select student competitors were chosen by their peers to perform, with Great Bend’s Duo Interpretation team of Steven Guillory and Quinton Heath selected to showcase their talents.
Individual honors were awarded as follows: Reese King, 1st Place in Informative Speaking; Steven Guillory, 1st Place in Impromptu Speaking; Darcy Feist, 1st Place in Program of Oral Interpretation, 2nd Place in Original Oration, and 2nd Place in Prose Interpretation; Anna Bitter, 2nd Place in Program of Oral Interpretation; Parker Coleman, 2nd Place in Informative Speaking and 4th Place in Extemporaneous Speaking; Quinton Heath, 3rd Place in Dramatic Interpretation; Kendra Scheideman, 3rd Place in Prose Interpretation and 3rd Place in Original Oration; and Steven Guillory and Quinton Heath, 5th Place in Duo Interpretation.
Capping it all off, Great Bend High School will proudly host the 5A State Forensics Championship May 2-3, welcoming the best speakers and actors in the state to compete right here at home. Twenty-four 5A schools with approximately 260 entries will descend on the high school this weekend to showcase their talents at the state tournament.
Great Bend’s State team will include:
State Championship Competitors
Darcy Feist - Program of Oral Interpretation, Original Oration & Prose; Reese King - Informative; Steven Guillory - Duo Interpretation and Impromptu Speaking; Quinton Heath- Duo and Dramatic Interpretation; Anna Bitter- Program of Oral Interpretation & Duo Interpretation; Ellie Damm- Duo Interpretation & Poetry; Kendra Scheideman - Original Oration; Kyra Lewis - Domestic Extemporaneous; Mark Sperlein - Poetry; Samantha Negaard - Dramatic Interpretation; Parker Coleman - International Extemporaneous and Lincoln Douglas Debate; Zachary Hart -- International Extemporaneous.
State Festival Competitors
Dixie Gallant - Poetry and Prose; Ailey Williams - Humorous Interpretation; Kyra Calvert - Prose; Lea Nokes - Poetry; Rhys Froetschner - Domestic Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking; Diana Stoddard - Impromptu Speaking; Hunter McClanahan - Informative; Ella Nokes - Impromptu Speaking and Poetry.
