Fairmont Speech dominates home tournament

FAIRMONT — On March 23, the Fairmont Speech Team hosted the last speech tournament of March, the “Fairmont Finale,” at Fairmont High School.

The top three visiting teams taking home team sweepstakes trophies were: Marshall with a score of 76, Mankato West with a score of 61 and St. Clair with a score of 37. Fairmont ended the day with a score of 124.

Fairmont finaled 22 events in the varsity division and six in the novice division. Fairmont had champions in seven out of the 14 varsity speech events.

In the varsity division, Sophomore Bel Lutterman was the champion in Original Oratory; Dominick Lund-May was the champion in Extemporaneous Speaking and champion in Impromptu; Juniors Grace Simpson and Oliver Thedens were the champions in Duo Interpretation; Senior Isaiah Lockwood was the champion in Great Speeches; Junior Oliver Thedens was the champion in Extemporaneous Reading; and Senior Sydney Blomster was the champion in Informative Speaking.

Continuing in the varsity division: Senior Abi Peyman took 2nd place in Great Speeches; Zoey Tassef took 2nd in Creative Expression; Sophomore Bel Lutterman took 3rd place in Impromptu and 3rd place in Prose; Junior Grace Simpson took 4th place in Dramatic Interpretation and 4th place in Impromptu Speaking; Freshman Leon Yang took 4th place in Humorous Interpretation and 5th place in Impromptu Speaking; Junior Isaac Thomas took 5th place in Humorous Interpretation; Freshman Allie Streit took 5th place in Prose; Sophomore Thomas Hamlet took 5th place in Storytelling and 6th place in Humorous Interpretation; Sophomore Dhanvi Patel took 6th place in Dramatic Interpretation; Freshman Clark Hazard took 6th place in Extemporaneous Speaking; and Junior Kelsey Hunter took 7th place in Informative Speaking.

In the novice division, Freshman Norah Heille was the champion in Prose and also 3rd Place in Dramatic Interpretation; Freshman Annie Reyelts took 2nd place in Humorous Interpretation; 7th grader Sophia Streit took 3rd place in Storytelling; 8th grader Bella Coan and 7th grader Georgia Werre took 4th place in Duo Interpretation; and 8th grader Evan Reyelts took 5th place in Humorous.

Fairmont Speech competes again on Saturday, April 6, at the Jordan “Last Chance” Speech Tournament at Jordan High School. Coming up is the MSHSL Section 2A Speech Tournament on Friday, April 12. The top three in each speech event will advance to the MSHSL Class A State Speech Tournament held at Shakopee High School on Friday, April 19.

The Fairmont Speech Team is led by its Senior Captains Abi Peyman, Andrew Haefner, Isaiah Lockwood, and Sydney Blomster and coached by Kathleen Walker, Erik Walker and Miles Duffey.