We’re thrilled to announce that the Cheyenne East Speech and Debate team delivered an outstanding performance at the season-opening tournament in Rock Springs this past weekend, securing 1st place in the 4A Sweepstakes competition! Competing against 12 teams from across Wyoming, our students showed incredible skill, dedication, and sportsmanship, setting a new bar for excellence in the state.

A Great Weekend

The tournament, which marked the beginning of the competitive season, saw our team achieve remarkable individual and team results. Highlights include:

• 7 Novice Students Win First Place: Our newest competitors showed impressive talent, with seven novices claiming 1st place in their respective events. This is a clear testament to the strong foundation and mentorship they are receiving at Cheyenne East.
• 21 Novices Advance to Finals or Semifinals: More than 20 of our rookie debaters and speakers advanced to the final rounds of their events, a remarkable feat for any team, especially one with so many newcomers to the competitive speech and debate scene.
• 35+ Varsity Students Reach Finals or Semifinals: The depth of talent on our varsity squad was on full display, with over 35 varsity students making it to the finals or semifinals in their events, and 10 taking home 1st place in their categories!

Individual Accolades

In addition to the team’s overall success, several students earned individual accolades, demonstrating their expertise in a variety of events. A special shoutout goes to the following students who were recognized for their excellence:

• Emma Andrews, 6th Varsity Drama, semifinals POI
• Donovan Carll, 1st Novice Extemp
• Sadie Casey, 3rd Varsity Oratory, 4th Varsity Impromptu
• Avery Cicarelli, 5th Novice Drama
• Cadie Cooper, 1st Novice Lincoln Douglas, supers Novice Congress
• Leila Cuthbert, 2nd Novice Oratory, 3rd Novice Impromptu
• Bridget DeMelfi, 2nd Varsity Poetry, 4th Varsity POI, semifinals Varsity Duo
• Madi Dyl, 3rd Varsity Duo
• Chloe Fitzgerald, 1st Varsity Drama, 2nd Varsity POI, 6th Varsity Impromptu
• Mikkel Goertel, 4th Varsity Info
• Ella Golwitzer, 2nd Varsity Public Forum, supers Varsity Congress
• Lillian Gonzalez, 2nd Novice Impromptu, 4th Novice Extemp
• Addy Goodman, 1st Varsity Humor, semifinals Varsity Drama, semifinals Varsity POI
• Uriah Graham, 5th Varsity Duo
• Rebekkah Greenwalt, semifinals Varsity Oratory
• Damien Harwell, 2nd Novice Humor
• Jared Haynes, 2nd Varsity Public Forum
• Samantha Jordan, semifinals Varsity Duo
• Carter Kennedy, 5th Novice Congress
• Ellie Kerschner, 1st Varsity Duo, 2nd Varsity Info, 4th Varsity Humor, 4th Varsity Oratory, 6th Varsity POI
• Layla Kling, 4th Varsity Duo
• Natalyia Kopack, 1st Varsity Lincoln Douglas, 2nd Varsity Congress
• Austin LaVanway, 5th Varsity Drama
• Joselynn LaVanway, 1st Novice Poetry, 2nd Novice Drama
• Danica Lees, 3rd Novice Oratory
• Kaitlyn Leming, 6th Novice Info
• Raeley Lind, 2nd Novice Info, 2nd Novice Public Forum
• Maci Little, 3rd Varsity Duo
• Anh Luu, 1st Novice Duo
• Brayden Lyday, 1st Varsity Policy
• Theo Martin, semifinals Varsity Info
• Jazzy Matthews, 2nd Varsity Humor
• Meiya McQueen, 4th Varsity Duo
• Cloee Miller, 1st Novice Duo
• Braxton Monteagudo, 2nd Novice Public Forum
• Vito Montenovo, 1st Novice Oratory
• Zack Morrow, supers Varsity Congress
• Sandi Nigh, 1st Novice Humor, 3rd Novice Poetry, 3rd Novice Public Forum
• Tatiana Nigh, 7th Novice Duo
• Abby Petri, semifinals Varsity Oratory
• Adam Pierson, 2nd Varsity Policy
• Andrew Schulz, 1st Varsity POI, 1st Varsity Oratory, 3rd Varsity Poetry
• Jacob Schwartz, 3rd Varsity Congress, semifinals Varsity Extemp
• Kyler Smith, 7th Novice Duo
• Lillian Strang, 2nd Varsity Polic
• David Stringer, semifinals Varsity Oratory
• Jeri Tolle, 1st Varsity Policy
• Melissa Uber, semifinals Varsity Humor
• Charlette Vasey, 3rd Novice Extemp
• Sebastian Vasquez, supers Novice Congress
• Zimrah Weiss, 3rd Novice Lincoln Douglas
• Cristina Welch, 1st Varsity Duo, 4th Varsity Drama, 5th Varsity Poetry, 5th Varsity POI
• Wyatt Wilson, 5th Varsity Duo, semifinals Varsity Humor
• Andrew Zubrod, 3rd Novice Public Forum, 7th Novice Congress
• Rosie Zubrod, 1st Varsity Info
• Sadie Zwonitzer, 2nd Varsity ExtempThese exceptional performances showcase the hard work and commitment of our students, who consistently push themselves to be their best both in practice and in competition.As we move forward into the season, the Cheyenne East Speech and Debate team is more motivated than ever to continue this winning momentum. With a growing group of talented novice students and a seasoned varsity squad, we’re excited for what’s to come!Congratulations to all of our competitors, coaches, and supporters who helped make this victory possible. We couldn’t be prouder of what our team has accomplished already this season. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to represent Cheyenne East with excellence in speech and debate!