Plymouth High School celebrates speech team's state championship

Plymouth High School students, staff and families gathered Thursday to celebrate this year's state championship win by the school's speech team.

The Plymouth High School Speech Team clinched the AA State championship and the overall state championship, defeating second-place Munster, third-place Avon, fourth-place Penn, and 75 other schools at Fishers High School.

Senior Dariel Herrera was voted to be the James Hawker Mental Attitude Scholarship winner, awarded by the Speech and Debate Board. Seven seniors were nominated from schools across the state. Herrera won two championships in Duo Interpretation and achieved three runner-up finishes in Duo and Drama throughout his high school career. This marks the second consecutive year that a member of the Plymouth Speech Team has received this scholarship. Last year, Cassidy Riddle was the recipient of the scholarship.

All 29 students from Plymouth High School contributed to the school's total of 196 points this year. Last year, Plymouth scored 200 points. This marks the eighth Lawson Trophy that Plymouth has won, with the previous victory occurring in 2009. 

In opening remarks, Principal Jake Singleton referred to the team's accomplishment as truly extraordinary, adding its members were committed at the highest level and emerged victorious. 

"Every event began with 48 contestants, making each achievement at the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals an impressive testament to their skill and passion," he said. "Winning a state title is no small feat. It takes discipline, determination and a relentless pursuit of excellence, and today we are here to recognize and congratulate these outstanding students and their coaches for making Plymouth High School proud."

Coach Eric Schaefer began his remarks with thank yous for the continued support of administrators, staff and students, as well as area businesses, community members, alumni and families of team members. He also recognized coaches Katie Anders, Daniel Tyree, Jack Garner, Sarah Robinson, Helena Jencowski and Charlotte Tyree. 

"The path to this season started with a big high in November," Schaefer said of placing second at the two-day Glenbrook Speech and Debate Tournament. "We knew we had something really special with this group of students. We maintained that with an undefeated Indiana regular season."

The team has 15 students going to the national tournament in Iowa this June. Its journey to the state tournament included a sectional championship, which the school has maintained since 1982.

"Out of the 40 students, we qualified 38 entries to the state tournament," Schaefer said. "And of that 38, 25 were in the top three at sectionals, with nine sectional champions."

Every team member who competed at sectionals ended up qualifying in at least one event, he added. "We had to leave no one behind. We brought everyone to state."

The following students represented Plymouth:

Quarter-finalists
Maddie Harness – International Extemp
Nathan King – Declamation
Marcy Sickmiller – Declamation
Katelyn Golba – Drama
Landon Cooper and Hayli Sullivan – Duo Interp
Brice Hoover – Humorous Interp
Cora Hanes – Informative
Lyli Seidelmann – POI

Semi-finalists
Ray Ye – Declamation and Poetry
Kylinn Kain – Poetry
Eva Macy – Discussion
Madelyn Hutchings – Humor
Brandon Woods – Humor
Claire Lewandowski – Drama
Katie Fritz – Informative
Marcy Sickmiller – International Extemp
Angel Oviedo – Prose
Audriana Flores – Prose

5th Place
Angel Oviedo – Drama
Alex Kizer – Informative
Lance Weldon – Prose

4th Place
Alex Kizer – Broadcasting
Joel Rodriguez and Audriana Flores – OP
Madelyn Hutchings – POI
Tyler Travis – Impromptu

3rd Place
Estela Mendez – Poetry
Estela Mendez – POI
Waylon Pitts and Rylan James – Duo
Tyler Travis – USA Extemp

2nd Place
Dariel Herrera – Drama
Olivia Burch – Humor
Olivia Burch and Dylan Buchanon – Duo
Lyli Seidelmann – Prose

1st Place
Dariel Herrera and Claire Lewandowski – Duo
Waylon Pitts and Rylan James – OP Duo

"Every year I've had the opportunity to see these incredibly talented young people get up and just pour their hearts into what they do," Assistant Principal Ken Olson said in closing remarks. 

He added that the presentation of state trophy was one of the most amazing things that he could be a part of because he had seen just how hard these students worked throughout the year. 

"They are here every day after school, in those speech rooms with their coaches at odd times because their coaches work full-time jobs, some of them are athletes, some of them are in plays and they're just coming in when they can get their time in," he said. "It takes so much, it takes everyone, even those who didn't quite make it down at state, to win a state title."

He thanked the team for bringing the Lawson Trophy back home and encouraged those members returning next year to keep it here. 

The ceremony concluded with the team presenting Singleton and Olson the ISSDA Class AA State Championship trophy and the Indiana overall State Championship Team Trophy, the Lawson, that will stay in the school for one year.