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   This past Saturday the Walker Speech Team took 10 speakers to the Pequot Lakes “Not So Early Bird” Speech tournament. This was the third competition of the speech season for the team. The makeup of the Walker Team this year is considerably different compared to last year. At the conclusion of the 2023 season, the speech team said goodbye to eight committed seniors, five of whom competed at the state tournament. This past weekend, over half of the competing speakers on the Walker Team are brand new to the activity. This is an exciting time for the speakers and coaches. With a young team, the Walker Talkers are entering a period of new experiences, challenges, and growth. Of the ten competitors this weekend, one came home with an award. 

   The following speakers are in their second season on the team: Elayna Freeman competed in the category of Humor. Lola Kruekeberg competed in the category of Poetry. And Layla Kruekeberg competed in the category of Poetry. 

   The following speakers joined the team this year and are competing in varsity speech tournaments for the first time: Meredith McCarthy competed in Humor. Trevor Kuechle competed in Humor. Isaias Jimenez McMurrin competed in Oratory. Makayla Whitaker competed in Extmp. Reading. Ealina Dascalos competed in Prose. And Jace Ungerecht competed in Humor and earned a red ribbon. 

   Additionally, senior Allison Kimball joined the team this year in the category of Drama. 

   With the season now in full swing, the Walker Talkers will board the bus early Saturday morning to attend the 63rd Annual Denfeld High School Rotary Tournament. 

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