Speech section winners SMHS qualifiers for the state speech tournament include Senior Shelby Wilds (left), in Great Speeches, sophomore A. J. Smith in Prose; senior Emma Motl in Original Oratory; sophomore Jon Nypan third in Extemporaneous Reading and Gemma Shaffer, first in Storytelling. The four champs won medals at the Section 6A Speech Tournament at Morris High School. These five will compete at state April 24, at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. (Photo by Don Sanda) Three seniors and one sophomore were named champions in their speech category April 17, for Staples Motley High School.

Seniors Shelby Wilds in Great Speeches, Emma Motl in Original Oratory and Gemma Shaffer in Storytelling and sophomore A. J. Smith in Prose won championship medals at the Section 6A Speech Tournament at Morris High School.

Sophomore Jon Nypan earned a third place medal in Extemporaneous Reading. Those five will compete in the State Class A Speech Tournament Saturday April 24, at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.

Coach Don Sanda noted that he felt Shelby Wilds was the most impressive speaker of the day. All five of her judges ranked her first, and Shelby has won the champion ship medals in her category in all seven tournaments she entered this speech season.

Also outstanding were Emma Motl and Gemma Shaffer, who were each ranked first by four judges and second by other judge.

Tera Weyer finished fourth in Informative Speaking and Alek Paskewitz finished sixth in Humor. They would have qualified to be alternate speakers in their categories if the State High School League had not decided last winter to end the practice of naming alternates and allowing them to participate in the state tournament if qualifiers are unable to compete.

Other Cardinals who competed in the section tournament are Aaron Carter, who finished seventh in Humor, Katie Stone, eighth in Discussion, Hallie Olsen, 12th in Drama, Sierra DeGeest, 13th in Drama, Brianna Miles, 14th in Storytelling, Becky Eckenrode, 17th in Discussion, and Samantha Weyer, 17th in Informative Speaking.

Although the Cardinals had only 14 speakers in the tournament, they scored enough sweepstakes points to finish third of the 23 teams who participated.

The team will hold its potluck banquet and awards program in the fellowship hall of Faith Lutheran Church Sunday, April 25, beginning at 5:30.

The Staples Motley speech team competed in the Sub-Section 23A Speech Tournament March 27, where their fourteen speakers plus alternates qualified for the Section 6A speech tournament.