The Great Bend High School forensics and debate team opened its season with an outstanding weekend on Saturday, Jan. 31, earning top finishes, a sweepstakes championship, and multiple state qualifications.
On Friday, seven Panthers competed at the first Congressional Debate tournament of the season in Newton. Junior Parker Coleman captured first place in the Varsity House, while senior Zach Hart earned a fifth-place finish.
The team continued its success Saturday in Garden City at the first forensics tournament of the year, where Great Bend claimed the first-place sweepstakes trophy. Fifteen of the Panther’s 23 entries advanced to finals, with particularly strong performances across the public speaking events.
Original Oratory saw multiple Panthers on the awards stage, with junior Kendra Scheideman earning first place, Coleman finishing second, junior Kyra Lewis placing third, and freshman Ethan Harrington taking fourth.
In Informative Speaking, Coleman earned first place, followed by Hart in third and junior Hunter McClanahan in fifth. Coleman also claimed first place in Extemporaneous Speaking, while McClanahan finished fifth in Extemp.
Scheideman added another top finish by earning first place in Program of Oral Interpretation. In Impromptu Speaking, Hart placed second, Scheideman finished third, sophomore Samantha Negaard earned fourth, and junior Kaitlyn Froetschner placed fifth. Negaard also earned third place in Dramatic Interpretation.
In addition to the medalists, first-year competitors Jaaziel Hernandez and Addie Hart contributed valuable sweepstakes points, helping secure the team’s overall victory.
All first- and second-place finishes qualified for the Kansas State Speech and Drama Championships, giving the Panthers six state qualifications after just the opening weekend of competition.
“This weekend exemplifies why I am so proud of each of these students,” head coach Kim Heath said. “They competed with confidence, supported one another, and represented Great Bend with pride.”
Assistant coach Pamela Williams highlighted the team’s depth and growth. “Our success came from contributions across multiple events and grade levels,” Williams said. “It was exciting to see both experienced competitors and newcomers make an impact.”
The Panthers will continue their season this week with a Congressional Debate tournament in Sedgwick on Friday, followed by a forensics tournament in Sterling on Saturday.