Chambers Qualifies 10 for State Speech Competition

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The C2-3, C2-2, and D2-4 District Speech Meets were held over the past weekend, with Hartington Newcastle, Plainview, and Chambers emerging as the top team finishers and qualifying a combined 10 students for the upcoming state speech competition.

Why it matters

The district speech meets are a crucial step in the road to the state speech tournament, as students and schools vie to advance their top performers to the state level. Strong showings at the district level can set the stage for success at the state competition, which draws the top speech talent from across Nebraska.

The details

At the C2-3 District held at Creighton High School, Hartington Newcastle took first place with 332 points, followed by Hartington Cedar Catholic and Creighton. Creighton's Ian Crockett and Ellison LaDeaux qualified for state in Entertainment Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking respectively. The C2-2 District at Wisner-Pilger saw Plainview claim the top spot with 328 points. Plainview had several state qualifiers, including Dominic White and Wyatt Schroth in Entertainment Speaking, Kohen Lingenfelter in Informative Speaking, and the Oral Interpretation of Drama team. In the D2-4 District at Litchfield High School, Chambers finished first with 216 points and qualified multiple students for state, including Draeger Scott in Informative Speaking, Rose Woeppel in Oral Interpretation of Humorous and Serious Prose, and Grace Hoffman in Persuasive Speaking.

• The C2-3 District Speech Meet was held at Creighton High School on Friday, March 20, 2026.
• The C2-2 District was held at Wisner-Pilger School on March 21, 2026.
• The D2-4 District was held at Litchfield High School on March 21, 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The state speech competition will take place in the coming weeks, where the qualified students and teams will compete against the top performers from across Nebraska.