Forensics team gears up for state

Talk about it

The New Richmond High School forensics team continued its season at the District Festival in Hudson on Saturday March 29.

Between Saturday’s competition and an alternate district held at New Richmond on March 13, with entries scoring 20 out of 25 possible evaluative points in at least two of three rounds, all 25 entries, which is the maximum number of entries allowed to advance, earned the honor to compete at UW-Madison on the evening of April 18.

What’s more, 97 percent of the scores earned by the team were 20 or higher; and of the total 75 rounds of competition with all entries considered, just two rounds earned scores under 20.

Individuals who advanced at Hudson included Nikki Goodrich, Devin Graff, Sarah Bygd and Krista Brusewitz in Farrago; Anne Kuenzie, Juliette Marth and Jenna Leahy in Four Minute Speaking; Ashley Umlauf and Aaron Zimmerman in Moments in History; Hai Nguyen, Julie Bruner and Kelsey Macomber in Oratory; Carrie Hubler and Jessica Dahlquist in Play Acting; Kendra Mitchell in Poetry; Elise Deppe, Lindsey Novitzke and Emily Deiss in Prose; Andrea Scheder in Public Address; Val Bruner, Julia Britzius and Julia Barbian in Solo Acting; and Katie Kaine in Special Occasion Speaking.

Maria Nelson (Moments in History), Jackson Scott (Poetry), Alex Campinini-Pape (Play Acting), and Laura Maier (Play Acting), who previously advanced on March 13, will join the team in Madison.

With a banquet scheduled on April 2 in the High School’s cafeteria and performances to follow, the team will be practicing over the next two weeks to prepare for their date off the shores of Lake Mendota in Wisconsin’s capital.

The goal is clear: Earn perfect gold scores of 25, and with such success, likewise earn the coveted Excellence in Speech Award. If the team were to earn the award, it would be the third straight.

Considering neither Coach Danette Tellijohn nor Coach Jeff Ayer has taken a full team of 25 entries to Madison, the three-peat seems as possible as ever.

Tags: educatioon, newrichmondwisconsin, forensicsteam, districtfestival