With only nine students competing in the District Speech and Debate tournament this past weekend at Lakeridge High School, they still placed third overall in the competition. Kayla Gadd, Joe Erickson and Taylor Bosson, juniors, were crowned District champions.

“I am so surprised and indescribably happy to be going to state in two events, and can’t believe I am a district champion,” Gadd said.

The team will be taking four students to the qualifying tournament at Mt. Hood Community College this Saturday. They will compete for spots at the national competition, which will take place this June in Dallas, Texas. The team will be competing at state the last weekend in April.

“I can’t wait to spend state with wonderful people from West Linn and from other schools in Oregon, Gadd said. “That’s the best part of the experience, meeting really amazing people.”

District Results:

District Champion Taylor Bosson in Humorous Interpretation (State qualifier)

District Champion Kayla Gadd in Original Oratory (State qualifier)

District Champion Joe Erickson in Prose (State qualifier)

Grace Converse, second place, in Dramatic Interpretation (State qualifier)

Joe Erickson, third place, in Poetry (State qualifier)

Kayla Gadd, third place, in Prose (State qualifier)

Taylor Bosson, fourth place, in Prose (Alternate to State)

Joe Gilligan, fourth place, in Radio ((Alternate to State)

Taylor Bosson & Sydney Lewis, fourth place, in Parliamentary Debate (Alternates to State)

Wilma Hicks Outstanding Student Award: Kayla Gadd, second place, Taylor Bosson, third place Honorable mention: Elizabeth Schweitzer, sophomore, Ava Delanty and Aileen Converse, freshmen