Brentwood Speech Team Takes Second in Parkway Tourney

In just its fourth year, the Speech and Debate team continues to speak its way to the top of the competition in Greater St. Louis Speech Association events.

In the two-day Parkway West Invitational held on October 28-29, the Brentwood squad fully utilized its 10 student entries to earn 11 individual medals and gained enough team points to take second in the overall sweepstakes awards. Thirteen other schools participated in the tournament.

“These students continue to amaze me,” said coach Robyn Haug, who was a national speech champion herself in high school. “Anything they are asked to do, they do with their full energy. Because we have a smaller squad than other schools, our kids have to cross-train in several events. Placing second in sweepstakes is a great accomplishment.”

In addition to the school sweepstakes award, individual and team awards were earned by several students:

• Paige Anderson - 3rd place Champion Lincoln Douglas Debate
• Lexi Brown - 4th place Original Oratory
• Ellie Fitzgibbons - 1st place Prose Reading
• Maggie Mortensen and Chris Reichert - 1st place Policy Debate
• Dallas Neely - 5th place Extemporaneous Speaking
• Chris Reichert - 2nd place Radio Speaking
• Chris Reichert - 2nd place Humorous Interpretation
• Steven Sandler - 6th place Extemporaneous Speaking
• Steven Sandler - 2nd place Original Oratory
• Lucy Sappington and Paige Anderson - 2nd place Duo Interpretation
• Lucy Sappington - 5th place Prose Reading

During the 2010-2011 school year, the Brentwood Speech and Debate team produced its first state champion in Radio Speaking and qualified six students to national-level competitions.

Just as with student athletics, speech and debate activities are governed by the rules of the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), which limits student competition to 10 tournaments per year. Because activities run from October through May, Speech and Debate has the longest-season of any MSHSAA-sanctioned activity.

“Colleges understand the work that goes into this kind of activity, so these kids are building great college applications in addition developing valuable workplace skills,” Haug said.

The Speech team will compete next in the Clayton/Ladue Invitational on November 18-19. 

Many thanks to David Faulkner, assistant to the superintendent of the Brentwood School District, for sharing this news with the community. Have some news to share? E-mail editor Ryan Martin at ryan.martin@patch.com.