Canfield speech team members advance to state

The Canfield High School speech and debate team will send nine seniors, 12 juniors, eight sophomores and three freshman to state competition after its Feb. 4-5 performance at the Youngstown OHSSL District Tournament in Howland.

Lincoln-Douglas debaters who will make the March 3-5 trek to Toledo Whitmer include C.J. Blaney, Andrik Massaro and Bailey Sandin. Arthur Brant and Maggie Watt, Aly Saleh and Kelly Ranttila and Stacey Slagle and Taylor Swift qualified for Public Forum Debate.

Qualifiers in Impromptu included Marisa McGrath, Chloe Gebacz, Gary Zamary and Kaylee Kapalko and advancing to state in Duo Interpretations are the teams of Nathan Pecchia and Rosie Jo Neddy, Jordan Teutsch and Sophia Pilolli, Amanda Benson and MacKenzie Blaney and Elise Szabo and Mary Elizabeth Monda.

Carolina Bennet and Annie McGlone moved on in Oratorical Interpretations, Mary Wirtz and Lauren Lewis will compete in Original Oratory and Jillian Smith and Tim Nesnidol will try to humor state judges.

Andy Sun made the cut in United States Extemp and Gretchen Scheel will make an appearance at state with fellow International Extemp speakers Vineet Rai and Kelly Fleming. Brandon Brooks qualified in Prose and Poetry Reading.

Canfield speech and debate members had another opportunity to qualify for state competition during a national qualifying tournament Friday and Saturday in Boardman.