DANVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

News release

Danville High School won decisively at the 28th annual Kentucky Educational Speech and Drama Association Senior Forum held in Lexington February 23-25. DHS beat rival Rowan County by 110 points with points earned in 15 speech and two debate events. Placing third through sixth at the forum were Lexington Dunbar, Boone County, Murray and LaRue County.  This is Danville’s fifth win at KESDA (previous titles were in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2016).

Two sophomores led the team with outstanding performances in five events and top placings in the John Edwards Memorial Pentathalon Competition. Pentath  recognizes strong scores in five events including at least one of each of the three types of speaking — original speech, interpretation of literature, and limited preparation. Charlie Hall took second in Pentath with Emma Merryman placing fourth. Danville also won four of the individual contests overall with Grace Sheene first in dramatic interpretation, Haley Hopkins first in declamation, Paige Glasser first in prose, and the senior group interpretation “The Little Mermaid” (Abigail Anderson, Matthew Ballard, Havannah Martin, McCallum Morley, and Grace Sheene) taking the top prize. As an additional honor, the Speaking Admirals won the Margaret Greynolds Traveling Trophy for Team Efficiency for earning the most points per team member, the first time DHS has ever won this honor.

Students competed in three days of competitions with three preliminary rounds in each event.  In the largest events, the top 24 entries in each event advanced to meet each other in quarterfinals on Saturday.  Events then advanced to semifinals (the top 12) and finals (the top 6) for the Forum Awards.

DHS award winners at KESDA are listed below by (awards earned in finals) or an (S) for semifinals or a (Q) for quarterfinals.  Congressional debaters who advanced out of the preliminary chambers to the Super Session are also noted.

Broadcasting: McCallum Morley second, Mackenzie Howe (S), Evey Kinkade (S), Havannah Martin (Q); Congressional debate: Caroline Bugg (Supers), Kami Chappell (Supers), Katie Critchfield (Supers), Billy Critchfield (Supers), Becky Mohr (Supers); Declamation: Haley Hopkins first, Natalie Grubbs second, Emma Merryman third; Dramatic interpretation: Grace Sheene first, Havannah Martin (S), McCallum Morley (S); Duo interpretation: Natalie Grubbs and Charlie Hall third; EXTemporaneous speaking: Billy Critchfield fourth, Caroline Bugg fifth, Katie Critchfield (S); Group interpretation: Anderson Ballard Martin Morley and Sheene first, Grubbs Hopkins Kinkade Merryman and Strysick second; Humorous interpretation: Abigail Anderson fourth, Haley Hopkins (S) ; Impromptu speaking: Emma Merryman sixth, Celeste Fieberg (S), Becky Mohr (S); Improvisational pairs: Matthew Ballard and Charlie Hall third, Paige Glasser and Grace Sheene (S) ; Informative speaking: Claire Strysick fourth, Kami Chappell sixth, Katie Critchfield (S), Emma Merryman (S); Original oratory: Charlie Hall second, Abigail Anderson (S) ; Poetry: Grace Sheene third, Paige Glasser sixth, Emma Merryman (Q), Claire Strysick (Q); Prose: Paige Glasser first, Grace Sheene second, Joseth Warner fourth, Charlie Hall (S), Libby Hale (Q), Havannah Martin (Q); Public forum debate: Billy Critchfield and Katie Critchfield (S); Storytelling: Charlie Hall fourth, Libby Hale (S).

DHS returns to the University of Kentucky to defend its Kentucky High School Speech League State Tournament title this weekend, March 10-11.