Great Bend High School won sixth place in the 5A KSHSAA State Forensics Tournament at Valley Center on May 6. The team worked tirelessly this season to prepare for the competition and their hard work paid off, coach Kim Heath said. Eleven Panthers competed across 16 different events with nine students advancing to the semi-final round and four placing in the top six.
“I am incredibly proud of our forensics team. Their hard work, dedication, and attention to detail through the rehearsal process created outstanding performances,” said Heath. “They represented our community by showcasing their talents and skills to the fullest extent.”
In addition to the students who advanced, the other team members also performed admirably. Even though Chrisangel Adame, Milena Carbajal, Quinton Heath and Reese King did not break into elimination rounds, they earned valuable points for the Panthers, contributing to their overall success.
Semi-finalists included Darcy Feist who placed eighth in Oration. Eave Taylor was ninth in POI and Anna Bitter finished seventh. Placing 10th were Thomas Henrikson and Eave Taylor in Duo Interpretation and Xanna Smith in Dramatic Interpretation.
Four Panther forensics students were named finalists and earned medals on the big stage. Sophomore Darcy Feist finished in fifth place in Program of Oral Interpretation. Junior Thomas Henrikson won fourth place in Humorous Interpretation with a humorous sketch called “No Substitute.” Senior Maddix Pokorski showed off his critical thinking and analytical skills by placing fourth in International Extemp. Senior Alondra Alvarez won third place in Prose Interpretation with a story entitled, “It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way.”
At the same time as the State Championship team was competing at Valley Center, the Panthers were being represented at Wichita Southeast at the KSHSAA State Festival. The goal of each student at the State Festival was to receive a 1 or a 2 rating for his or her performance.
Nine out of 10 of the competitors for Great Bend received a 1 rating and earned a medal. They were recognized for an outstanding presentation with few technical errors. The 1 rating is reserved for a truly outstanding performance.
Ellie Damm and Lea Nokes both received a 1 rating in Dramatic Interpretation. Ailey Williams and Hannah Hopkins worked together on a Duo Interpretation which received a 1 rating. Theo Hopkinson-Smith read a Poetry piece and received a 1 rating, while Chanler Riley earned a 2 for his Program of Interpretation.
Great Bend students also excelled in speaking events. Danica Cline earned a 1 rating in Informative Speaking and Keaton Kruckenberg received a 1 rating for Impromptu Speaking. Kruckenberg and Hopkins also both earned 1 ratings in Extemporaneous Speaking.
