As they’ve done all year, East High Speech and Debate rolled into another tournament and came away victorious. Only this time, the tournament meant a little more. For the second year in a row, the team has earned the title of State Champion.

The annual tournament, this year held in Riverton on March 7-9, featured schools from across the state.

“This year is unique,” says coach Marcus Viney. “Every competitor on the state team earned points toward the sweepstakes total that put us above all the other teams.”

In addition to the team title, the Thunderbirds scored with three State Champion teams in Public Forum debate, completing the rare feat of shutting out the rest of the state in that category.

Thunderbird senior Maeve Knepper was voted, but the Wyoming Speech and Debate community, as State Student Ambassador of the Year. Students who placed in the top three:

Reyna Black – 2nd Place in Informative

Darnell Crawford – State Champion Public Forum

Gracie Fogg – 3rd Place in Duo

Saga McAllister – 3rd in Program Oral Interpretation and Semifinalist in Poetry

Cayden McCoy – 3rd Place in Duo

Josh Mitchell – State Champion Public Forum

Haley Neisen – State Champion Public Forum

Anna Papadopoulos – State Champion Public Forum

Hailey Rigler – State Champion Public Forum and 3rd Place in Informative

Jayden Roccaforte – State Champion in Humor

YuYu Yuan – State Champion Public Forum and 4th Place in Extemporaneous Speaking