THS won the 4A title Saturday at Washburn Rural in Topeka.THS team members placed in seven events, including first place in three of them, first and second in two others and second in yet another.

Tonganoxie won sweepstakes with 366 points. THS finished ahead of state runner-up McPherson, which scored 357. Buhler took third with 321.

THS prevented McPherson from winning a fourth straight state team title. MHS had won the previous three championships heading into Saturday’s competition.

Tonganoxie came on strong this year. Last season, the squad had one state placer in Cayden Hunter. He took fourth in the informative category. This year, he placed second in impromptu. Eric Bieser won impromptu, while Maya Romero accomplished the same feat in humorous solo acting. Joseph Turner placed second in that event and accounted for Tonganoxie’s third individual title in prose.

Tonganoxie won state in speech and drama for the first time since 2008. It was the Chieftains’ fourth overall, as the team also won team championships in 2005 and 2003. All of the championship have come under the guidance of head coach Steve Harrell.

The team knocked off one of the most successful programs in the state historically.

McPherson has won 10 state titles overall starting in 1995 in 5A. MHS also won 5A titles in 1996 and then 1999 and three straight from 2001-03. The 2021 was the first for the program since 2003 and first in 4A.

Here’s a look at individual placing for Tonganoxie on Saturday:

Humorous solo acting

1. Maya Romero, 222 points; 2. Joseph Turner, 216

Impromptu

1. Eric Bieser, 210; 2. Cayden Hunter, 216

Improvised duet acting

6. Maya Romero and Lachlan Bond, 197

Informative

2. Graham Foley, 209

Oration

6. Gage Slabaugh, 204

Poetry

4. Joseph Turner, 210

Prose

1. Joseph Turner, 208