MURRAY HIGH SPEECH TEAM QUALIFIES FOR NATIONALS
PHOTO (front row (left to right) -- Margaret Robinson, Raegan Settle, Kat Jenkins, Mia Todd, Charlie Heeke, Skylar Swalls, and Gabriel Crass. Second row (left to right) -- Olivia Kelly, Ella Brown-Terry, Kyra Shutt, Korey Knight, Katelynn Stanczyk, and Jesse Adams. (back row (left to right) -- Patrick Jones, Isaac Gallimore, and Alyssa Daughrity.
Murray, Ky., April 29--------The Murray High Speech Team took second place in the overall Speech sweepstakes at the Kentucky Catholic Forensic League District Tournament in March at LaRue County High School, located in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
Rowan County took first and Henry Clay came in third. The MHS Speech Team also won the J. Garland Blair Traveling Trophy for most accumulated sweepstakes points over the years. The last time the Murray High Speech Team won the award was under the leadership of Kentucky High School Speech League Hall of Fame Coach Mark Etherton.
The following students placed in the top six in competition and qualified for national competition: Mia Todd, second in Extemporaneous Speaking; Isaac Gallimore, sixth in Extemporaneous Speaking; Patrick Jones, fourth in Oratory; and Katelynn Stanczyk, fourth in Declamation. Kyra Shutt placed seventh in Extemporaneous Speaking and was named an alternate to national competition.
Students also participating in the competition and contributing to the team effort included Jesse Adams, Gabriel Crass, Alyssa Daughrity, Margaret Robinson, Charlie Heeke, Ella Brown-Terry, Kat Jenkins, Korey Knight, Skylar Swalls, Raegan Settle, and Olivia Kelly.
Todd, Gallimore, Jones, and Stanczyk were scheduled to compete in the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Speech Tournament that was to be held over Memorial Day weekend. The national competition has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Murray High Speech Team is coached by Michael Robinson, Selena McPherson, Doris Cella, and Randy Patterson.