With slick, snow covered roads and participating schools on a delayed start this morning, the start of events will be delayed by two hours.
AURORA - The Colorado High School Activities Association will host its 2025 4A Speech and Debate State Championships this Friday and Saturday at Pueblo Central High School.
The 4A State Tournament offers Interpretation of Drama, Humor, Poetry, Duo Interpretation, Program Oral Interpretation, National Extemporaneous Speaking, International Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking, Cross-Examination Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Congressional Debate, as long as there are enough entries for the event to be viable.
In the team competition, Delta is looking to defend its state championship.
Entering the tournament, returning state champions include the RISE pair of LJ Neal and Thomas Okine in Duo Interpretation, Axel Enochson of Pueblo County in International Extemporaneous Speaking, Jada Roberson of Lewis-Palmer in Program Oral Interpretation and Anna Hacker of Lewis-Palmer in Congressional Debate.
In total, 11 schools return top-six finishers from last year, with RISE returning six (four of whom are in two duos), Woodland Park four (two pairs of two), and Lewis-Palmer a competition-high three individual top-six finishers. Cheyenne Mountain (three total, including one pairing), Delta (two individuals), Longmont (two individuals), and Pueblo County (two individuals) also have multiple returning top-six finishers. Air Academy, D'Evelyn, Littleton and Palmer Ridge each has one entrant that was in the top six in 2024.
In Duo Interpretation, RISE has a second strong entrant beyond Neal and Okine, as Bita Tangu and Esi Acheampong are back after placing third last year. Additionally, Felicia Langenfield and Emma Hannah of Woodland Park are back in the event after placing fifth last year. Also from Woodland Park, Cavan West, sixth last year in Humorous Interpretation, is partnered with Eden Fuqua, who was half of last year's sixth-place tandem. Also, Rayan Khaleq of RISE, fourth last year in Humorous Interpretation, is in the Duo Interpretation competition.
Challenging Enochson again in International Extemporaneous Speaking will be Longmont's Colton Kominski, who was third last year, Tae Kim of D'Evelyn, who was fifth, and Max Murphy of Cheyenne Mountain, who was sixth.
Besides returning champion Hacker in Congressional Debate, other top-six finishers include runner-up Alex Burruss of Delta, and fifth-place finisher Sara Zareva of Air Academy.
Henry Lawless and Koen Beaver of Cheyenne Mountain, second last year in Public Forum Debate, are looking to move up one position in 2025..
Juliana Wainright of Lewis-Palmer is the top returning performer in Original Oratory after a second-place finish last year. Grace Shelden of Longmont was fourth, and Miranda Rodriguez-Ramirez of RISE was fifth.
In Dramatic Interpretation, none of the top six from last year return, however the list of competitors includes Victoria Nungaray-Arias of RISE, who was fourth last year in Informative Speaking.
Ari Viney of Palmer Ridge leads the list of returning contenders in Humorous Interpretation after placing fifth in 2024.
In National Extemporaneous Speaking, Delta's Hayden Pirela is back after finishing sixth in 2024.
In Poetry Interpretation, Caroline May of Littleton was fourth last year.
Sunny Wiggins of Pueblo County is looking to improve upon a fourth-place finish in 2024 in Program Oral Interpretation.
Also of note:
Alexander Hoff of Palmer Ridge, sixth last year in Original Oratory, is competing in Informative Speaking. Brianna Valle of RISE, sixth in Dramatic Interpretation last year, is competing this year in Interpretation of Poetry. Ben Blodgett of Air Academy, third last year in Informative Speaking, will be competing in the Public Forum Debate. The Dramatic Interpretation field includes Adi Collins of Delta, who was second last year in Program Oral Interpretation.