Speech and debate talking up a hot streak

The Saratoga/Encampment Speech and Debate team took their fifth consecutive first place win last weekend in Jackson Hole.

According to head coach Jacob Mickelsen, the debaters had a big weekend, with Rowan Ford making it to semifinals for the Lincoln-Douglas debate. The stand-out seniors distinguished themselves again, with Jacob Dickinson taking first place in drama and second in oratory and Mariah Scharosch taking second in poetry.

The combination freshman/sophomore duet team make it to semifinals for the first time last weekend, which Mickelsen said was exciting for the whole team.

As the weeks go on, the students need to work hard to nail down their pieces and the effort has been paying off. Mickelsen said the pieces are getting very good with input from judges and community members. The act of performing in front of a fresh audience helps the speakers make their way through different characters.

Now that the school play has begun, Mickelsen explains that the busy, committed group of individuals he coaches are busier than ever. Many of them spend all day at school, then go to speech and debate practice and finish off their day with practice for the school play.

This weekend, the Panther speech team is off to the Cheyenne South meet, where Mickelsen expects to see the kind of quality the students have been showing at meets so far. He expects those that are winning time after time to keep doing so, but also looks forward to stand-out performances from the newer students.