Plainview Speech Succeeds at State
Two State Champions and a State Runner-Up
The six finalists in persuasive speaking at State Speech took their place on the floor of Cushing Auditorium in Kearney, in front of a large and anxious crowd of fellow C-2 school students, fans, and competitors. The NSAA official began announcing the results, starting with sixth place (which included long, dramatic pauses between each name). With just two competitors left remaining, the Plainview crowd held their breath, while Kelsey Bonta appeared to remain as composed as she does when she performs. Few could hear her heart pounding or see her hands trembling. And then the announcement came that made the Plainview section erupt in cheers and tears: "Your 2011 State C-2 Champion in persuasive speaking. . . Kelsey Bonta!" Soon after, Cherise Friedrich took the floor, standing next to her fellow humorous prose finalists, and as the Plainview crowd felt the same anticipation build, the countdown continued until again just two finalists were remaining. And then the announcement came--"Your 2011 State C-2 Champion in humorous prose . . . Cherise Friedrich!" It was Cherise's turn to take the stage and step up on to that pyramid of wooden boxes until she reached the one labeled first place. Not until later, when the coaches received the ballots, did we learn that Cherise had earned a 1st place and a perfect score from all three judges in finals--Âa very rare event. Finally, the last event of the day--the group event, O.I.D. (Oral Interpretation of Drama), took the floor. And the set-up repeated itself: crossed fingers, beating hearts. Only two teams were left standing; and this time, we (Cherise, Kelsey, Cody Mosel, Michael Moeller, and Britton Hamm) stepped forward to proudly accept the runner-up medals for their outstanding performance. In the end, two champions and one runner-up medal were enough to earn the Plainview Speech team a fourth place finish overall as a team, marking the eighth time in the last 10 years that the team has ended up as one of the top five teams at state. In fact, Northeast Nebraska, and specifically the C2-3 district that Plainview participated in, represented well at State. Although Omaha Brownell-Talbot won the team championship (as they have done the past five years), the next four teams to place (Hartington, Stanton, Plainview, and Hartington CC), all came out of the same C2-3 district.