Chloe Henn was able to finish her career on a high note by bringing home some hardware from the Class D1 State Speech Championships on Friday. Elgin High School senior, Henn placed first, second and second in her preliminary rounds, which clinched her spot in finals. In that round, she placed fifth overall, earning her another state medal.
Coaches Jessie Reestman and Stacy Shumake-Henn expressed praise for Henn.
“Chloe has had an amazing speech career. She’s a four-year letter winner, a four-time State Speech qualifier, and now a three-time State medalist. She has a lot to be proud of. She was the NVC Champion and District Champion in Entertainment and was also NVC Duet Champion with her partner Callie Heithoff. In addition, she earned medals in OID as well.”
The coaches felt she performed very well at State.
“She had some fantastic performances this season, and State was no different. In the finals round one judge ranked her first with a perfect score of 50/50. That’s definitely something to be proud of. She finished among the best of the best in class D1.”
Sophomore Zoey Buechter also turned in a solid performance in her State debut. Buechter would have been the next competitor in finals, narrowly missing a medal.
Buechter earned a Superior Rating in her Serious Prose performance which has earned her some medals this season.
Fellow sophomore Gemma Miller competed in Extemporaneous Speaking at the meet in Kearney and also earned a Superior Rating.
The coaches applauded their efforts.
“Gemma and Zoey did a fantastic job in Kearney. It’s always nice when we have some new kids get down there. It prepares them for the next season and has a tendency to make them a bit hungrier to get there. We’re very proud of their accomplishments.”
They also had words of praise for their whole team. “We’re so proud of these kids. We’re a pretty small team, but we put in a solid effort this year, especially in our district. Being up against powerhouses like Wausa and Osmond can be a bit intimidating, but they handled it like champs.”
The team will lose two seniors to graduation—Henn and Heithoff.
“We can’t say enough about those two. Their commitment over the last four years has been amazing. They are tough kids to replace, as they are talented, hardworking, and terrific leaders. They were a positive influence on our younger team members.”
Congratulations on a great season, EPS Speech.
