GREELEY – At the end of a marvelous two-day event at Northridge, state champions were crown in 14 events at the 2022 speech and debate festival tournament.
 
Apart from the 14 first-place trophies and countless ribbons that went home with many of Colorado’s top high school speechers and debaters, another annual award was given that has become a uniquely humbling honor. That is the Maggie Long Spirit of Speech Award, which is voted on by the competitors themselves and awarded to the student at the festival who embodies the spirit of, as well as significantly contributes to the creation of, the speech community in Colorado.
 
This year, the winner was Steamboat Springs senior Emma Poper.
 
“I’m speechless, really. We’re doing speech and debate, and I’m speechless,” Poper said. “Everyone here is just so lovely. It’s my senior year and I’ve had so much fun. Everyone is just so amazing here.”
 
Maggie Long was a senior speecher at Platte Canyon. The Platte Canyon and Colorado speech and debate community tragically lost Long in a senseless act in December of 2017, and the award is a way of remembering her gregarious nature that personified the speech and debate community's emphasis on creating connections between students and schools.
 
Because the 2021 speech and debate festival was held virtually, the awarding of the Maggie Long Spirit of Speech Award was among the many experiences the competitors missed from having a typical in-person competition. With everyone back together in one building this year, event directors Greg Hansen and Diane Wagener were thrilled to see the students, coaches and everyone involved get to fully experience the dearly held community feel of a speech and debate festival.
 
“It’s all about community,” Hansen said. “Getting the community together and seeing the capabilities of all the students is really special. Everybody got to see the students in competition rounds and see the results that came from it.”
 
Then, of course, there are this year's champions.
 
In creative storytelling, Nicholas Olson of Battle Mountain took first place. Katelyn Bates from University won dramatic interpretation. For extemporaneous speaking, Longmont’s Cassidy All took home the first-place award. In both the humorous interpretation and program oral interpretation events, University’s Aliyah Archer was the winner.
 
For original oratory, Cassidy Wellbaum of Battle Mountain won it all. Her teammate, Piper Scherr, was the winner in poetry interpretation. University’s Tagan Garcia and Abigail Conner were victorious. Battle Mountain’s Lucy Anderson and Ryan Long won impromptu speaking and informative speaking, respectively.
 
Eagle Valley’s Sean Asselin took first in congress. Steamboat Springs’ Lance Johnson won value debate. Nolan Silver of Dawson School was the winner in Lincoln-Douglas debate. The duo of Sierra Hill and Justin Vargas proved victorious in the public forum debate.
 
There were also many young and talented debaters like Eagle Valley freshman Molly McAdams who got to experience the speech and debate festival for the first time.
 
“This was my first time at state and since it was state, the resolutions were all impeccable,” said McAdams, who shined throughout the competition and finished runner-up in value debate. “None felt too one-sided and it was really even, which made it so much more fun. We have two-hour practices every week since Sept. 14, and I practice a ton on my own at home, so we’ve put over a hundred hours into getting here and doing the best we can.”
 
After experiencing his own first speech and debate festival as the Colorado High School Activities Association assistant commissioner overseeing activities, Rashaan Davis said he left Northridge on Saturday night inspired by the infectious energy, enthusiasm and camaraderie that were on display for the previous two days.
 
“All successful events start with great vision,” Davis said. “The vision of our festival directors, Greg Hansen (Dawson) and Diane Wagener (Battle Mountain), helped to make this event a major success. They brought together a great team of coaches and staff members, worked with our host school staff, to create something that our participating students will remember for a very long time. It was a pleasure to be part of this in-person event, and to see the efforts of everyone involved pay off in a way that continues to uphold the mission of the CHSAA.
 
“I want to thank the speech and debate festival staff and the CHSAA Speech and Debate Advisory Committee for their work.”