Speech reflects on success at nationals

ABOVE: From left are Allie Streit, Bel Lutterman, Leon Yang, Dominick Lund-May, Oliver Thedens and Grace Simpson. These six members of the Fairmont Speech Team competed in the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) tournament from June 16-21 in Des Moines, Iowa. They represented their school and community with dignity and wear their ribbons and hold their plaques with pride.
FAIRMONT — The Fairmont High School speech team returned from a successful trip to last weekend’s National Speech and Debate Association tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.
Fairmont sent a team record of participants to the Saturday event. Team members returned with awards to close out the 2023-24 speech season. Some speech members are already looking forward to the next year.
Allie Streit and Bel Lutterman participated in the supplemental categories (prose and expository, respectively). Streit concluded the season among the top 120 in the nation for the supplemental prose category.
Streit was pleased to return to the national tournament in the conventional categories.
Lutterman was grateful for the experience she shared with her team and what she learned during the tournament duration.
“I love that our whole team is coming back next year. I’m glad that we have something to look forward to and strive for next year,” Lutterman said.
Grace Simpson and Oliver Thedens collaborated on duo interpretation presentation. After several successful preliminary rounds, the two concluded in the octo-finals standing. They both received an octo-finals plaque together and placed 46th out of 254 entries.
“I’m so happy the season was so good with my Duo partner,” Thedens said.
“It was a good way to top off [the season],” Simpson said. “Next year is our last year.
Hopefully next year we go back to nationals.”
Leon Yang competed in the national tournament with his humorous interpretation script. Leon Yang ended the tournament with a quarterfinal placement. He received a quarterfinal plaque, placing 15th out of 258 entries.
Yang described the national experience as enlightening.
“I won’t be a four-time national champion, but a three-time champion will do just fine,” Yang said, sharing a laugh with his coaches.
Dominick Lund-May competed in the Impromptu category and finished among the top 120 participants. Though Lund-May did not reach the finals, he expressed appreciation to the people he had met and the things he had learned from the experience in Des Moines.
“I met a lot of fun people in my normal category, and my supplemental category, which I did break. I’m glad to see this team come back. Next year is the last shot,” Lund-May said.
Coaches Kathleen and Erik Walker expect repeat visits to the national tournament in the coming seasons.
Both coaches walked onto the Des Moines event center stage together to receive their Diamond award. This award recognizes speech and debate coaches across the country for their longevity and excellence, earning more than 15,000 points from their team’s triumph.
For nine years, the Walkers coached the Fairmont speech and debate teams.
The Walkers praised the team’s camaraderie and personal success accomplished since the season began in 2023.
Des Moines will once again be hosting the National Speech and Debate Association tournament for 2025.