The squad captured two sweepstakes victories, winning both the Gardner-Edgerton Invitational and the McLouth Invitational. Additionally, the team had a solid two-day showing at the Lansing Invitational.

There were 30 students who medaled during the weekend, including five events that finished in position to qualify for state at the end of the season.

Seniors Josh Lingo and Spencer Finkbiner state-championship qualified in impromptu and informative speaking, respectively. Junior Michael Mast qualified in oration, while classmates Emily Fletcher and Ian Slater qualified as solo actors. Lingo also festival-qualified in prose interpretation. Senior Emma DeMaranville festival-qualified in informative speaking, while sophomores Jose Monarrez, Philip Rutherford and Gage Smith all festival-qualified in interpretive or acting events.

In all, the forensics squad had 55 top 10 individual event finishes for the weekend.

The team is back on the road this Saturday with visits to Iola and Rock Creek to compete at their invitationals.

Defending state champions from last year are Manhattan (6A), Shawnee Heights (5A), Sumner Academy (4A), Norton Community High School (3A), Republic County in Belleville (2A) and Hodgeman County in Jetmore (1A).

Regionals for speech and drama will be April 16 throughout the state.

Hosts this year are Atchison County in Effingham, Clearwater, Ellinwood, Holcomb, Neodesha and Wamego.

Tonganoxie will compete in the Atchison County regional with Basehor-Linwood, Bonner Springs and other schools.

State speech and drama will be April 30 at Olathe North (6A), Topeka Seaman (5A), Washburn Rural (4A), Wichita East (3A), Wichita’s Bishop Carroll (2A) and Salina Central (1A).

Tonganoxie competes in Class 4A.