Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

P-D Speech Team Heads Back To State

The Potter-Dix High School speech team is heading back to State.

The Coyotes, five-time State champions since 2002, qualified for the D1 state competition at Kearney High School on March 19 after winning this year's District and Minuteman Activities Conference championships.

Potter-Dix's speech pedigree is most impressive.

Since the turn of the century, the team won D1 state titles in 2002 and 2012 and D2 titles in 2011, 2016 and 2019. For good measure, they were D1 runners-up in 1998, 2010 and 2013.

On top of that, the team remains the most recent D2 champion because the pandemic canceled State last year. Potter-Dix will not, however, defend that title March 19 and instead compete at D1 after moving up in class due to enrollment.

The D1 meet will unfold on the main floor at Kearney High School, while D2 will occupy the second floor.

Here are Potter-Dix's results at the recent MAC and District competitions:

MAC

Mary Kasten: OID – second, Persuasive – fourth.

McKynna Deeds: OID – second, Duet – third, Poetry – sixth.

Ana Manning: OID – second, Informative – third, Poetry – third.

Kendal Neilsen: Persuasive – first, OID – second, Duet – third.

Gunnar Oleson: Duet – first, OID – third, Humorous – third.

Jayden Shoemaker: OID – second, Serious – fourth, Extemporaneous – fourth.

Josh Kasten: Entertainment – second, Extemporaneous – seventh.

Kyla Ramsey: Entertainment – first, OID – second, Informative – fourth.

Luke Kasten: Duet – first, OID – third.

Zach Rotert: Humorous – first, OID – third.

DISTRICT

McKynna Deeds: OID – third, Duet – fifth.

Mary Kasten: OID – third.

Kendal Neilsen: OID – first, Duet – fifth, Persuasive – fourth.

Ana Manning: OID – third, Informative – second, Poetry – fourth.

Gunnar Oleson: Humorous – first, Duet – first, OID – first.

Luke Kasten: Duet – first, OID – first.

Zach Rotert: OID – first, Humorous – second.

Jayden Shoemaker: Extemp – second, OID – third, Serious – fifth.

Josh Kasten: Entertainment – third, Extemporaneous – seventh.

Kyla Ramsey: OID – third, Informative – fourth, Entertainment – eighth.