Last weekend, the Hays High Speech and Debate team picked up 11 qualifications and advanced to either state or national competitions. Patrick Fox and Evan Ricke rounded out their qualifications for the Texas Forensic Association’s state tournament. Fox qualified to compete at state in Lincoln Douglas Debate and Ricke will represent Hays High School in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, becoming the sixth and seventh Hays Speech and Debate team members to qualify this year. In order to qualify for competition at the TFA State tournament, students must demonstrate an ongoing capacity for excellence, collecting a total of 12 points throughout the season. A total of 31 Hays Speech and Debate team members currently hold partial qualifications.
Several Hays High students also earned qualification to the Tournament of Champions in May. Ricke also earned a bid to the Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions in Chicago. Matthew Boddy and Dylan Cousins picked up bids for Extemporaneous Speaking at the Tournament of Champions in Kentucky. Desiree Campbell and Olivia Schneider earned bids in Original Oratory; the contest will be held in Omaha, Nebraska. Catherine Porfirio and Julia Bowen will join them in Dramatic Interpretation. Bowen joins teammate Zoe Puertas competing in Omaha in Informative Speaking.
