APPLE VALLEY (WJON News) -- Local speech and debate students performed well at the Minnesota State High School League Speech State Tournament in Apple Valley this weekend.

The competition took place Friday and Saturday at Eastview High School. In Class A ten students from Melrose earned top-eight finishes to lead the team to second place overall. Cathedral’s Samuel O'Brien took second place in Humorous Interpretation.

In Class AA, Tech High School’s Emerie Schraw earned a second-place finish in Extemporaneous Reading, while Ella Roggeman took 8th in the same event. In Humorous Interpretation, Dawson Pope finished in second place for the Tigers.

No central Minnesota teams placed in the top three in the Class AA team competition. First place went to Moorhead who was followed by Apple Valley in second, and Eastview in third.

2023 MSHSL Speech Tournament Results:

Class A:

Annandale:

Discussion:

Marissa Lovegren - Did not place in the top 8

Duo Interpretation:

Myles Hayes and Camryn Moon - Did not place in the top 8

Great Speeches:

Ryan Helm - Did not place in the top 8

Poetry Reading:

Julia Segner - Did not place in the top 8

Cathedral:

Humorous Interpretation:

Samuel O'Brien - 2nd place

Eden Valley-Watkins:

Duo Interpretation:

Megan Blonigen and Ava Blonigen - 5th place

Humorous Interpretation:

Hailey Ramthun - 8th place

Maple Lake:

Discussion:

Bradley Browne - 7th place

Melrose:

Team Competition - 2nd place

Creative Expression:

Drew Pundsack - 2nd place

Reagan Mueller - 6th place

Dramatic Interpretation:

Autumn Oevermann - 6th place

Extemporaneous Reading:

Anessa Redepenning - 4th place

Emily Sand - 6th place

Great Speeches:

Makayla Zirbes - 3rd place

Informative Speaking:

Amelia Brower - 4th place

Original Oratory:

Andrew Traeger - 7th place

Poetry Reading:

Vanessa Santana - 4th place

Storytelling:

Ellie Heller - 1st place

Royalton:

Extemporaneous Reading:

Nate Moga - 8th place

Poetry Reading:

Brooke Wenner - 3rd place

Sauk Centre:

Dramatic Interpretation:

Sydney Zollman - 7th place

Duo Interpretation:

Luke Middendorf and Christopher Polipnick -  7th place

Class AA:

Apollo:

Discussion:

Bangaly Kaba - Did not place in the top 8

Sauk Rapids-Rice:

Prose Reading:

Maya Castilleja - 8th place

Extemporaneous Speaking:

Matthew Jegers - Did not place in the top 8

Tech:

Extemporaneous Reading:

Emerie Schraw - 2nd place

Ella Roggeman - 8th place

Humorous Interpretation:

Dawson Pope - 2nd place

Informative Speaking:

Sadie Zellman - Did not place in the top 8

Original Oratory:

Amin Aden - Did not place in the top 8

Poetry Reading:

Hilal Ali - Did not place in the top 8

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