Trojan speech team kicks off 2013 season

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WORTHINGTON — With about 30 competitors, the Worthington High School (WHS) speech team’s 2013 season is under way.

“We are off to a great start,” said Linda Neugebauer, the WHS head speech coach.

Neugebauer is joined this year by assistant coach Anna Korver, a WHS mathematics teacher.

Students first competed Jan. 25-26 at the Schwan’s Speech Spectacular in Marshall. Three students advanced to the quarterfinals in that event — Brianna Kempema, Jaimi Seesongkram and Anny Sompamitwong — while novice speakers Karina Cuate and Thip Keovilay were finalists in their categories, ultimately placing fifth and fourth, respectively.

“There are 13 categories, and we have some fantastic competitors,” Neugebauer said.

With several of the speech students doing double-duty in the recent WHS musical “Hairspray,” the speech team wasn’t initially at full-strength.

“We’re growing a little now that the musical is over,” said Neugebauer.

Last Saturday, WHS hosted the Trojan Tournament, with 20 schools and more than 320 student speakers participating. Several WHS speech students posted first- and second-place finishes at the meet.

Individual place winners at the WHS event were: Creative Expression — Cesar Montejo, first place; Anny Sompamitwong, third place. Discussion — Christopher Mayorga, second place; Cheniqua Johnson, third place. Extemporaneous Reading — Karina Cuate, third place. Extemporaneous Speaking – Jennifer Mayorga, first place; Kenneth Garcia and Larry Leovan, Excellence. Humorous — Caleb Dirksen, first place; Ivan Parga, third place; Megan Cavanaugh, Excellence. Informative — Thip Keovilay, Excellence. Original Oratory — Andrea Magana, Excellence. Drama – Helen Escoto, Excellence. Prose — Ana Lozano, second place. Storytelling — Kaili Burger, second place; Bianca Alvarez, sixth place.

The Trojan speech team is next slated to compete Saturday at Redwood Valley on Saturday, and at Mankato on Feb. 16.

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