With two teams tying for first and two teams tying for second, the Owatonna home meet was a competitive one. 

The Owatonna Speech Team is in the middle of a spectacular season. The Owatonna Speech Team is coached by Ms. Marcia Anderson, Mr. Mark Anderson, and Ms. Hailey Ritscher-Purkey. 

Besides the coaches there are five captains on the team this year. They are made up of three seniors Hailey Kjersten, Kinzie Carlson, Makenna Hovey, and two juniors Idalia Anderson and Eljiah Leon. They all have expressed how happy they are with this year’s success. This past weekend Owatonna hosted their home meet.

Kjersten, a captain of the Owatonna Speech Team, said “I am excited the meet did not get canceled this year.” In prior years, Owatonna has been known for canceling meets due to the unfortunate timing of bad weather conditions. Bad Weather aside, Kjersten said, “I am pleased with how I did today. I believe it was a very successful meet.”

With the upcoming Big 9 and sections many members of the speech team have been doubling up and continuing to practice and perfect their speeches. Kjersten said, “Owatonna will kill it as usual and we will have a lot of people.”

Junior Emma Green is a part of the category Duo Interpretations with Ava Kleeberger. Green has been a part of speech for three years. Duo Interpretation is a category that has two people performing a skit-like speech where the two partners can not look at or touch each other. Some of these speeches may be humorous, as well some being more serious. 

Green said, “I’d say the season is going pretty good. I’m both excited and nervous for the Big 9. I know there will be some really good speakers there, but I am excited to see how Ava and I do.”

Ms. Anderson is satisfied with how the season is going as well as how the home meet went. She also is very thrilled for the next few upcoming meetings Ms. Anderson said, “The meet went really well. We had a lot of Owatonna people in the finals.”

Ms. Anderson has watched speeches and believes that many had their best performances of the season this past weekend and is excited to see what the Owatonna speakers can do at the next few meets, including Big 9. Ms. Anderson said, “I have high hopes, but I don’t care. Speech is about more than keeping our title of Big 9 Champs.” 

Upcoming this week the Owatonna Speech Team will be competing at Big 9 during and after the school day in Rochester on Tuesday,  March 14. Then they will be competing in Northfield on Saturday, March 18.