Speechsters bring home awards from state tourney

The Hot Springs County Speech and Debate team attended their State Tournament last weekend in Lander, coming home with a fifth place win.

"This was a great weekend for this young team," coach Cindy Glasson said. "We are up against over 400 competitors at State and with a team of just 11, I think they did a bang up job."

While none of the Bobcats made the main stage, they did place in a few events as 3A competitors.

Reilly Russell brought home a third place medal in 3A poetry, Tyler Kay won third place in 3A humor and 3A POI.

Katie Burrows and Ashley Brawley placed third in 3A duet while Hannah Hu brought home second place 3A, in oratory.

Breeze Petty missed moving into octofinals by just three positions, finishing the tournament with a 3-3 record.

"These three day culminating events are exhausting for the team," Glasson said. "They start every day at 8 a.m. and get back to the hotel around 10:30 p.m. each day. By about noon on the third day they have had enough, but somehow find a way to push through it and come out winners."

For sports and most other activities, the State Tournament is the end of the season, but for speech and debate, they have one more three day tournament to attend, the National Qualifying Tournament in Rock Springs this weekend.

The team left early this morning (Thursday) for the tournament which will determine if any of the students qualify for the National Tournament in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. in June.

"I think this tournament is as stressful for me as it is for the team," Glasson laughed. "I have a gut feeling about how things are going to turn out and this tourney has me pacing a lot.

"In order to go to the National tournament they have to place in the top two or three in their event. We've had Bobcats attend Nationals 15 times and I'd really like to make this our 16th trip."

Glasson herself was honored at the State Tournament as well, being named the 3A Coach of the Year.

Glasson was named Hot Spring County Speech and Debate assistant coach in 2009 and took over as head coach 2016.

She was a member of the Thermopolis Speech and Debate Team from 1978-81, the Casper College Speech and Debate Team in 1981-83 and MSU Billings in 1983-84.

"I was surprised to be nominated and even more surprised to win," said Glasson.

"There are coaches in 3A that have 20 plus years experience so I was honored to be chosen."