Bruick Captures CU Speech Tourney Sweepstakes Trophy-SHS Speech Team Named First Runner-Up

January 25, 2015

Seward High’s Speech Team performed well at their first meet of the season, capturing the First Runner Up trophy at the annual Concordia University Speech Classic on Saturday, January 24 in an all day event at the Concordia Thom Education Leadership Center on the CU Campus.  SHS Junior, Alexa Bruick captured the individual CU Speech Tourney Sweepstakes award winning two events and placing second and third in two other events.  SHS Senior Austin Van Velson was named Second Runner-Up in the individual Sweepstakes competition.

Team members at the CU tourney included Brodie Oshel, Sydney Erikson, Kevin Lyon, Levi Dybdal, Rhianna Tamasi, Molly Suhr, Amanda Marcov, Zach Vacha, Grace Orwen, Austin Van Velson, Kyle Glandt, Nolan Homp, Alexa Bruick, Will Helmer.  They competed in ten events included duet, drama team, poetry, persuasion, extemporaneous speaking, impromptu speaking, humorous prose, serious prose, informative speaking and entertaining speaking.

The Seward team place second overall, winning the First Runner-up Sweepstakes trophy and Alexa Bruick won the individual Sweepstakes medal winning in four events, while Austin Van Velson won the third place Sweepstakes individual medal with two individual wins.  Team members who were finalists and received medals included Alexa Bruick: First Persuasion, First Impromptu, Second Informative, and Third Extemporaneous. Austin Van Velson: Second Impromptu and Fifth Poetry, Levi Dybdal: Fifth Duet, Third Entertaining, Molly Suhr: Sixth Persuasion, Rianna Tamasi: Fifth Duet, Will Helmer: Fifth Entertaining, Zach Vacha: Fourth Impromptu, Kevin Lyon: Third Drama Team, Nolan Homp: Third Drama Team, Sydney Erickson: Third Drama Team, Grace Orwen: Third Drama Team. Conestoga High won the tourney, Seward was second and Mount Michael of Elkhorn was third. 

Professor Bryan Moore and Professor Joy Johnson were the directors of the CU Tourney/CU High School Speech Classic, assisted by members of the CU Speech team.  A pizza lunch was furnished for all the competitors at the Janzow Campus Center..

Seward High was required to bring volunteer judges for the tourney to assist with the tourney.  The SHS judges included Sarah Garbers, Hannah Moody, Rebecca Newton, Kaellyn Marrs, Carl Heinicke, Stephanie Shearer and Clark Kolterman.  Clark Kolterman is the coach for the Seward High School speech team, assisted by Concordia University Student Stephanie Shearer of Arapahoe, volunteer assistant coach.

Schools competing in the contest included Waverly, Elkhorn Mount Michael, Conestoga, Dorchester, Fairbury, Lincoln Lutheran, Tri-County High, Deshler, Exeter-Milligan, Heartland Lutheran-Grand Island, Malcolm High and Seward High.