Central Minnesota Schools Shine At State Speech Championships

BROOKLYN PARK (WJON News) -- A Central Minnesota High School brought home the gold from a state tournament over the weekend. Melrose took first place in Class A at the Minnesota State High School League's Speech Tournament. The Dutchmen beat out Mounds Park Academy by 9 points with 68 total. Fairmount finished in 3rd place.

The competition was held at Park Center H.S. in Brooklyn Park.

Melrose also had several individual top winners with two first places, three second places, and three third-place finishes across the board. Esther Kapsner captured first in Extemporaneous Reading, and Emily Sand second. Teague Dusha brought home first in Great Speeches.

Sauk Centre places 5th as a team, with Dassel-Cokato taking 7th. Other area schools participating include New London-Spicer, who tied for 16th, Annandale, tied for 32nd, and Eden Valley-Watkins, tied for 36th.

New London-Spicer's Autumn Foshaug took second in Serious Interpretation of Poetry, with Dassel-Cokato's Laina Halonen taking third. Nora Thompson of Sauk Centre won for Serious Interpreation of Prose,

Check out the full list of area individuals who placed below:

EXTEMPORANEOUS READING:
Esther Kapsner - Melrose - 1st
Rebecca Welle - Melrose - 7th

GREAT SPEECHES:
Teague Dusha - Melrose - 1st
Molly Anderson - Dassel-Cokato - 3rd

CREATIVE EXPRESSION:
Ella Erdmann - Melrose - 3rd
Ava Wensmann - Melrose - 5th

DISCUSSION:
Aldan Kluempke - Melrose - 3rd

DUO INTERPRETATION:
Julia Wehrman & Olivia Marsh - Sauk Centre - 5th

EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING:
Ramona Lurken-Tvrdik - Melrose - 7th

HUMOROUS INTERPRETATION:
Jada Rausch - Melrose - 3rd
Isaiah Gilk - Melrose - 5th

INFORMATATIVE SPEAKING:
Brinley Ritter - Melrose - 8th

ORIGINAL ORATORY:
Stacy Timp - Melrose - 2nd

SERIOUS INTERPRETATION OF DRAMA:
Lola Dusha - Melrose - 2nd

SERIOUS INTERPRETATION OF POETRY:
Autumn Foshaug - New London-Spicer - 2nd
Laina Halonen - Dassel-Cokato - 3rd
Sophia Berubee - Annandale - 5th

SERIOUS INTERPRETATION OF PROSE:
Nora Thompson - Sauk Centre - 1st
Alayna Haag - Eden Valley-Watkins - 6th

STORYTELLING:
Liz Elden - Sauk Centre - 3rd

The top three finishers in the team for Class AA were:
Moorhead
Lakeville North
Apply Valley.

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