HNS speech team wins GNAC Conference title

LAUREL — The Hartington-Newcastle speech team inked its name into the record books Monday as the first school to ever win the Greater Northeast Nebraska Activities Conference Speech Invitational.

The HNS team easily out-distanced runner-up West Holt, 296-194 to claim the title.

“We are very proud of the students. Everyone competed hard, and I think that showed positively in the results,” HNS coach Kyle Stevens said.

Of the 10 events in Monday’s competition, HNS came home with seven gold medals and four silver medals.

“These kids have clear goals and each of them put in the work it takes to accomplish team goals like winning conference,” Stevens said.

The team put 17 of 20 entries into finals. "It was a complete eort and a reflection of each students' talent and work ethic. We still have work to do to get ready for districts, but I am excited to see what this team can accomplish,” Stevens said.

Conference champs were:

• Duet Acting - Dane Gotch, Issac Santiago

• Informative Speaking - Hazel Hochstein

• Poetry - Ryell Haug

• Serious Prose - Dane Gotch

• Persuasive Speaking - Hazel Hochstein

• Oral interp- Trevon Hopping.

• Oral interp of Drama - Alyk Zach, Cole Heimes, Gabe Reyes, Jason Heimes and Lainey Morten.

Conference runners-up were:

• Entertainment Speaking - Cole Heimes

• Oral interp of Drama Austin Sudbeck, Carter Kelly, Dane Gotch, Issac Santiago and Trevon Hopping.

• Humorus prose Isaac Santiago

• Serious Prose - Dane Gotch Other medal winners at the GNAC meet were:

• Duet Acting - (4th) Cole Heimes and Lainey Morten

• Entertainment - (3rd) Carter Kelly

• Extemporaneous - (6th) Trynity Zach

• Humorus prose (4th) Lainey Morten

• Poetry - (3rd) - Alyk Zach

• Oral Interp - (4t) - Vayda Lippert Before competing at conference, HNS took part in a powerhouse meet in David City featuring several Class B and Class C1 schools.

HNS finished fifth in that meet. Normally, a fifth-place finish is nothing to get excited about, but Coach A.J. Johnson said he was pleased at the way the team performed against the larger schools.

Omaha Skutt dominated the competition, securing first place in team sweepstakes with 533 points. York followed in second place with 372 points, and Wayne High claimed third with 260 points. Boone Central was in fourth place with 200 points, while Hartington-Newcastle rounded out the top five with 191 points.

“The David City Invite presented a dicult challenge," Stevens said. "The best teams in the state in class B and C go to this meet. Our students did not shy away from the challenge.“ HNS earned 13 medals at the David City meet.

”Overall, I think we grew as a team, and the experience helped us improve,” Stevens said.

Ryell Haug and Isaac Santiago led the team at David City, both earning sixth-place medals in the varsity division.

Haug earned a medal for her poetry selection, while Santiago earned his hardware in the Serious prose division.

Several local competitors earned medals in the Next-In Division at David City. They were:

• Oral interp of Drama - (1st) - Alyk Zach, Cole Heimes, Gabe Reyes, Jason Heimes and Lainey Morten.

• Duet Acting - (2nd) - Dane Gotch, Issac Santiago

• Poetry - (3rd) - Alyk Zach Oral interp of Drama - (3rd) Austin Sudbeck, Carter Kelly, Dane Gotch, Issac Santiago and Trevon Hopping

• Duet Acting - (3rd) Cole Heimes and Lainey Morten

• Entertainment - (3rd) Cole Heimes

• Serious Prose - (6th) Dane Gotch