Spuds cap 2017 season with success in Birmingham

For 13 Moorhead speakers, the long road to Birmingham and the 2017 NSDA National Tournament came to an end last Friday as the Spuds suited up one final time. Delivering messages of strength and purpose, the Spuds competed in seven separate categories, advancing 11 into the top 60. Four of those entries would continue past the round of 30 and finish in the top 14 overall.

The team also finished as a top 20 speech school, earning the NSDA’s “Speech School of Excellence” award for the fifth consecutive season. The award goes to the teams who accumulate the most speaker points at the tournament.

While Moorhead missed out on the final round stage, four speakers finished only a few points away. Back-to-back MSHSL Duo champions Devon Solwold and Izzy Larson reached the semifinals with their adaptation of “Birdman” and finished 7th overall. Senior Jessica Anderson made the semifinals in Original Oratory for the second time in three years, ending her speech career with an 11th place finish. Anderson joins Carl Hulden and Nina Grollman as the only Spuds to reach the semifinal round at least twice in a career. Also, MSHSL Storytelling champion and senior McKensie Bedore advanced to the semifinals with her Informative speech on lasers. Bedore finished 13th overall.

Seven other speakers also advanced past the preliminary rounds of competition. Seniors Abby Dahlberg and Skyler Klostriech reached the round of 60 in Duo, as did junior Kenan Stoltenow and his duo partner, sophomore Sophia Klindt. Junior Bridget McManamon just missed out on the quarterfinal round in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking, finishing 31st overall, while junior Ariana Grollman (Humor) and sophomore Anna Larson (Informative) both finished in the top 60. Each category held an average of 250 speakers.

Additionally, senior Alex Church advanced to the 6th round of competition in Poetry after missing out on the top 60 in Humor. Junior Simon Beach (International Extemp. Speaking) just missed the cut in his second consecutive trip to the NSDA tournament.

As a team, Moorhead moves up the rankings for the Bruno E. Jacob team trophy, awarded to the school with the most cumulative rounds at the NSDA tournament. The Spuds now sit in a tie for fourth place.

The full results packet can be viewed by clicking here.

*Article updated to reflect NSDA update of Duo results.