5 Apple Valley, Eastview Students Win State Speech Titles

Three and two high school students earned first-place finishes in the Class AA state speech tournament this past weekend.

Apple Valley's first-place finishes went to Szumei Leow in great speeches, Rachel Robinson in informative speaking and Patricia Reeves in serious interpretation-poetry, according to a news release. Apple Valley earned eight state medals.

Eastview won nine medals, including firsts from Mike Ross in creative expression and Ashesh Rambachan in extemporaneous speaking. Rambachan in January .

District 196 students won eight of 13 state speech titles this year (Eagan added three), and one-fourth of all the medals awarded for first through eighth place, with 26.

Apple Valley and Eagan remain ranked first and second, respectively, in total state speech titles won since the tournament began in 1969, with 79 and 64, the release says.

Four District 196 students were state runners up at the tournamen, and another four took third place, the release says. State runners up are:

• Erica Floding of Eastview in extemporaneous reading
• Karina Devine of Eastview in serious interpretation-drama
• Ben Habegger of Eastview in storytelling
• Georgia Schmitt of Apple Valley in informative speaking

Third-place finishers from Apple Valley or Eastview are:

• Dara Nikolova of Eastview in discussion
• Kellie Metzger of Apple Valley in extemporaneous reading

Other medalists from Apple Valley or Eastview include:

• 4th Place – Frankie Szeto of Apple Valley in original oratory

• 5th Place – Anna Ghebregzi of Eastview in serious interpretation-poetry and Olivia Schiffman of Apple Valley in storytelling

• 7th Place – Sam Mayer of Eastview in discussion, Nader Helmy of Apple Valley in original oratory and Kiki Laing of Eastview in serious interpretation-drama

Many of the state qualifiers also qualified to compete at the National Forensic League’s speech and debate tournament scheduled for June 11-15 in Indianapolis, including Helmy, who last year in original oratory.

Head speech coaches are Pam and Joe Wycoff at Apple Valley and Todd Hering at Eastview.