St. Mary's wins WDA Speech Meet crown

 MANDAN –  Bismarck St. Mary’s speech advisor Kelli Vetter knew her group was prepared heading into the WDA Speech Meet. The weeks of preliminary competitions and additional practice sessions produced a sterling performance on Saturday, April 11 at Mandan High School. “They really put in the work and rose to the challenge,’’ said Vetter, who is in her second year as head coach and sixth overall with the program. “We have nine seniors, but a nice group of underclassmen. They are willing to stay late and help each other out (to prepare).”
St. Mary’s had four event champions and had several more top three finishes. The Saints racked up 159.5 points. Minot United was a distant second and Jamestown was third. Dickinson’s Olivia Lauf and Minot United’s Leah Dokken each won a pair of individual titles. 
The state competition is April 18 in Jamestown. Minot United’s Crystal Michels was WDA coach of the year.

2026 WDA Speech Meet
1. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 159.5
2. Minot United, 93
3. Jamestown, 78.5
4. Dickinson, 68
5. Mandan, 60.5
6. Watford City, 58
7. Century, 20.5
8. Bismarck High, 4
9. Bismarck Legacy, 4

Event Winners and Placewinners
Serious Interpretation (Top 7 were state qualifiers)
1. Emily Walker, Watford City; 2. Ella Withers, Minot United; 3. Ella Patera, Mandan; 4. Xylia Michels, Minot United; 5. Marcos Achuleta, Bismarck Legacy; 6. Anthony Page, Minot United; 7. Katherine Devney, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 8. Braden Roehrl, Bismarck St. Mary’s
Humorous Intepretation (Top 6 were state qualifiers)
1. Leah Dokken, Minot United; 2. Joseph Churchill, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 3. Abigail Speer, Minot United; 4. Ella Patera, Mandan; 5. Gwyndolin Cramer, Jamestown; 6. Sophia Link, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 7. Boston Babel, Mandan; 8. Jameson Dasovick, Bismarck St. Mary’s
Poetry Reading (Top 7 were state qualifiers)
T1. Olivia Lauf, Dickinson; T1. Violet Pineda, Watford City; 3. Emma Hoke, Jamestown; 4. McKinzie Platz, Minot United; 5. Lillian Makeeff-Stetson, Bismarck High; 6. Grace Goettle, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 7. Kiara Irizarry, Mandan; 8. Winter Getzlaff, Minot United
Dramatic Interpretation (Top 5 were state qualifiers)
T1. Olivia Lauf, Dickinson; T1. Katherine Devney, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 3. Kiara Irizarry, Mandan; 4. Olivia Hessinger, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 5. Emily Walker, Watford City; 6. Sophia Bilowith, Jamestown; T7. Violet Pineda, Watford City; T7. Kenji Son, Watford City
Serious Duo (Top 3 were state qualifiers)
1. Isabella Peatross-Ella Withers, Minot United; 2. Lillian Reinarts-Emily Trevithick, Jamestown; 3. Eva Brooke-Corbin Weightman, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 4. Rosie Cunningham-Rhilynn Pitzer, Mandan; 5. Emilee Lennie-Lilian Bradford, Mandan; 6. Lilly Stone-Bryce Schafer, Mandan; 7. Evelyn Krebs-Leah Jensen, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 8. Kelsey Oler-Abigail Vandermay, Bismarck St. Mary’s
Humorous Duo (Top 6 were state qualifiers)
1. Lily Dasovick-Elise Chilumbu, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 2. Grace Goettle-Rita Goettle, Bismarck St. Mary’s; T3. Garrison Dreher-Capin Wardner, Bismarck Century; T3. Emilee Dasovick-Jameson Dasovick, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 5. Ian Combs-Emily Anderson, Bismarck Century; 6. Andrew Gardner-Braden Roehrl, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 8. Mackensie Harms-Anthony Page, Minot United
EPR (Top 6 were state qualifiers)
1. Kenji Son, Watford City; 2. Emilee Dasovick, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 3. Capin Wardner, Bismarck Century; 4. Charolette Rae, Dickinson; 5. Eva Brooke, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 6. Isabella Peastross, Minot United; 7. Noah Voigt, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 8. Alice Sundeen, Jamestown
Storytelling (Top 5 were state qualifiers)
1. Rita Goettle, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 2. Abigail Hoffer, Minot United; 3. Elise Chilumbu, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 4. Lily Dasovick, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 5. Charolette Rae, Dickinson; 6. Alivia Dynes, Minot United; 7. Aiden Lorenz, Jamestown; 8. Ella Lien, Jamestown
Radio Broadcasting (Top 4 were state qualifiers)
1. Andrew Walters, Watford City; 2. Alyssa Lehman, Dickinson; 3. Breeal Delgado, Watford City; T4. Boston Babel, Mandan; T4. Ansley Godboldt, Jamestown; 6. Corbin Weightman, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 7. Briley Delgado, Watford City; 8. YYouness Elbouab, Minot United
Imprompt Speaking (Top 6 were state qualifiers)
1. Sophia Bilowith, Jamestown; T2; Ella Lien, Jamestown; T2. Calen Rohrbach, Jamestown; 4. Kaisen McWilliams, Dickinson; 5. Sophia Link, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 6. Alex Chislii, Mandan; 7. Winter Getzlaff, Minot United; 8. Elsie Thompson, Bismarck Century
Extemporaneous Speaking (Top 3 were state qualifiers)
1. Madison Hayden, Dickinson; 2. Emilie Hessinger, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 3. Alexandra Krebs, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 4. Alex Chislii, Mandan; 5. Elsie Thompson, Bismarck Century; 6. Jackson Faris, Mandan; 7. Rylie Klein, Jamestown; 8. Ashlynn Rath, Mandan
Speech To Inform (Top 5 were state qualifiers)
1. Emilie Hessinger, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 2. Lilly Steiner, Dickinson; 3. Bryce Schafer, Mandan; 4. Joy Jiang, Minot United; 5. Evelyn Krebs, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 6. Chloe Smith, Jamestown; 7. Bryleigh McBride, Minot United; 8. Kennedy Cunningham, Bismarck St. Mary’s
Speech to Persuade (Top 5 were state qualifiers)
1. Chloe Smith, Jamestown; 2. Alexandra Krebs, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 3. Kyria Semo Kamseu, Dickinson; 4. Carlos Carbajal Sanchez, Minot United; 5. Joy Jiang, Minot United; 6. Lilly Steiner, Dickinson; 7. Teagan Ramlo, Jamestown; 8. Stella Prebble, Minot United
Speech To Entertain (Top 5 were state qualifiers)
1. Leah Dokken, Minot United; 2. Emma Hoke, Jamestown; 3. Marianne Plante, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 4. Joseph Fergel, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 5. Ava Davis, Watford City; 6. Joseph Churchill, Bismarck St. Mary’s; 7. Lilly Stone, Mandan; 8. Jackson Faris, Mandan