Members of the EPS Speech Team were rewarded Friday for all of the hard work they’ve put in over the last few months.
Six team members qualified for State Speech in five events. Five of those team members earned medals at the contest. Two of those members medaled twice.
The OID of Baylee Busteed, Brenna Martinsen, Chloe Henn, Callie Heithoff and Kayton Zwingman had found success all season long with their performance. On Friday, they proved they were among the best in Nebraska by earning the third place medals in their event.
Throughout the day, the group earned three perfect ballots of first place rank and scores of 50/50, including one in finals. The Duet of Busteed and Henn also continued to do well, as they brought home the sixth place medals.
Earning Superior Ratings at the State Speech Championships were Busteed in Informative, Kyndal Busteed in Persuasive and Heithoff in Entertainment.
EPS coaches Jessie Reestman and Stacy Shumake-Henn couldn’t be prouder of their team members.
“These girls have put in so much work this season. We’re proud of each of them for their time, effort and commitment to the team. Considering the success of our OID and Duet, we really had some high hopes going in, and we weren’t disappointed.”
They credited some tough competitions for their success.
“These kids have been competing against some top-notch opponents all season long, including an extremely tough NVC, and a beyond competitive district. At districts, one of the coaches mentioned that whoever came out of our district would be on the medal stand, and she was right. Our district picked up a lot of medals on Friday.” The coaches also had kind words for their seniors Busteed and Martinsen.
“These girls have been a joy to coach over the years. They are so talented, and so busy! No matter what they have going on, they always make time to practice. Baylee has been a state qualifier for four years, and Brenna, three. Baylee medaled when she was a freshman, and she was actually tripled entered at state this year, which is quite an accomplishment. It was nice to see them both bring home some medals for their efforts. They will be missed next year.”
In addition, both Henn and Heithoff were double entered at the state contest.
Congratulations on a great season! Just qualifying for state is an honor. Bringing home the medals is a tremendous feat.
