By Sheri Hink

The Wauneta Breeze

The Wauneta-Palisade speech team is off to a great start for the 2011-2012 season. The team consists of 20 students, including 10 first-timers.

WP placed fifth at their first speech meet, the Longhorn Invitational, on Jan. 7 in Imperial.

One of the team’s coaches, Liz Noler, said the first meet was a good opportunity to “get our feet on the ground” for the rest of the season.

At the Imperial meet Brett Klima took second place in the informative category and third in persuasive.

Sydnee Harchelroad and Hannah Nordhausen placed third in the duet category.

In the extemporaneous category Cody Hicks took fifth and Landon Jutten took sixth.

Jasmyn Smith placed fifth in persuasive. Cassidy Rathe made finals in serious prose.

The team competed at the Wallace Invitational on Jan. 14, though many team members were absent due to basketball finals.

At Wallace, Klima placed first overall in informative speaking and second in persuasive. Smith placed forth in persuasive. Donald Hunt made the final round in humorous prose and Hicks qualified for finals in extemp.

The team’s next meet is the Perkins County Invitational coming up this Saturday, Jan. 28, in Grant.

WP Speech Team

Wes Anderjaska

Will Bartlett*

Logan Bischoff*

Christi Christner*

John Christner*

Weylin Davis

Sydnee Harchelroad*

Cody Hicks*

Donald Hunt

Landon Jutten

Connor Kayton*

Brett Klima

Tailor Lee*

Jacob Maris

Tayler Nordhausen

Hannah Nordhausen*

Dawn Pinkal*

Hayden Pollmann

Cassidy Rathe

Jasmyn Smith

* Indicates first-time competitors.

2012 Speech Schedule

Jan. 28 Perkins County Invitational at Grant

Feb. 11 Roughrider Invitational at Bartley

Feb. 15 RPAC at Southwest

Feb. 18 Pending

Feb. 25 McCook Community College/Southwest HS at MCC

Mar. 5 Speech Night at Chateau Theatre

Mar. 13 District at North Platte

Mar. 22-23 State Speech Championships at Kearney