Sidney speech team wins at Kimball

The Sidney High School speech team won the Kimball Invitational held last weekend. Sidney was the sweeptstakes winner in Class A/B and also the overall winner among the 15 competing schools.

Sidney won three of the nine events. The school had multiple high finishes in six events, including the top three in extemporaneous speaking and four of the six high placers in poetry.

Champions for the Raiders were: Austin Jacobsen in entertainment speaking, Mitch Verhulst in humorous prose and Kollyn Weimer in extemporaneous speaking.

Other medalists for Sidney include: Will Castner, second, extemporaneous speaking; Will Castner, second, informative public speaking; Samee Kaus, second, poetry; Abbie Fraas and Megan Neal, second, duet acting; Jocilyn Hessler, third, poetry; Drew Reece, third, extemporaneous speaking; Cameron Baldwin and Mitch Verhulst, third, duet acting; and Destiny Backer, Abbie Fraas, Jocilyn Hessler, Brenda Maytorena and Megan Neal, third, oral interpretation of drama.

Additional medalists were: Bailey Bagnell, fourth, poetry; Josh Austad, Davis Burch, Samee Kaus, Jonathon Stokes and Kollyn Weimer, fourth, oral interpretation of drama; Destiny Backer, fifth, poetry; Davis Burch, sixth, entertainment speaking; Jordan Cook, sixth, informative public speaking; and Jordan Cook, sixth, persuasive speaking.

The previous week, Sidney finished third out of 21 schools at the Perkins County Invitational. Ogallala won the event and Scottsbluff finished second.

Sidney won two events at the meet. Champions for the Raiders were Will Castner in extemporaneous speaking and Samee Kaus in poetry.

Sidney had 12 additional medalists. They include: Josh Austad, Davis Burch, Samee Kaus, Jonathon Stokes and Rachelle Swain, second, oral interpretation of drama; Destiny Backer, Abbie Fraas, Jocilyn Hessler, Brenda Maytorena and Megan Neal, fourth, oral interpretation of drama. Destiny Backer, fifth, poetry; and Tessa Siler, sixth, extemporaneous speaking.

Other medalsts for Sidney include: Jordan Cook, seventh, informative public speaking; Will Castner, eighth, informative public speaking; Drew Reece, ninth, extemporaneous speaking; Mitch Verhulst, 10th, humorous prose; Abbie Fraas and Megan Neal, 10th, duet acting; and Jakob Austad and Josh Austad, 11th, duet acting.

Brenda Maytorena received the top novice award in serious prose, while Austin Jacobsen received the top novice award in entertainment speaking.