Dozen PR Students to Compete at PA High School Speech League State Tournament

(Gibsonia, PA) The Pine-Richland Forensics Team took second place at the state qualifying tournament, which was held at PRHS Feb. 27.

Qualifying students will compete at the Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA March 11-13.

Students who qualified to compete were sophomore grader Samantha Bigley in dramatic interpretation; senior Brendan Kelly and freshman Ryan Kelly in Public Forum Debate; sophomore Nigel Halliday and senior John Bute in Extemporaneous Speaking; sophomore Dallas Trescher in Informative Speaking; and junior Thomas Zerbe, freshman Benjamin Zerbe, and junior Tyler Schlotterbeck in Parliamentary Debate.

Also competing at states will be senior Curtis Mahoney in Student Congress, junior Rachel Jones in Impromptu, and junior Emily Smith in Radio Announcing.

Students who earned alternate status to states were: freshman Nicholas Jones, freshman Benjamin Meissner, seventh grader Matthew Jones in Parliamentary Debate; sophomore Alexandra Marshall in Persuasive Speaking; sophomore Hudson Herring in Informative Speaking; ninth grader Megan Rains and Cameron Foxhall in Duo; and sophomore Kaitlin Hudok in Commentary.

PRHS Teacher Jeff Byko serves as the team’s head coach. PRHS teachers Leticia Mickey and Laura Wagner are assistant coaches for the team.