Sitka High School's Darby Osborne, standing, and teammate Addie Poulson debate against Ketchikan High School's Eddie Gomez and Bella Kershaw, at right, during the final debate in the Drama Debate Forensics meet at the Saxman Tribal House Dec. 12. (Photo by Dustin Safranck, Ketchikan Daily News)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka High and Mt. Edgecumbe High drama, debate and forensics teams came out on top in many events at the Dec. 10-11 tournament in Ketchikan.
“This was probably one of the most impressive tournaments we’ve ever had, with first place wins in almost every event,” SHS coaches Christian Litten and Amy Ainslie said in an email with the results. “... Their hard work is really paying off.”
Mt. Edgecumbe coach Lynn Bastoky quoted team member Oliver Tyrell in an email to the Sentinel: “There were a lot of great challenges faced this trip, but we came out strong and together as a team,” Tyrell said.
The schools that competed were Sitka High, Mt. Edgecumbe, Ketchikan, Skagway, Metlakatla and Thunder Mountain.
The next meet will be the regional championships, hosted by Sitka Jan. 28-29.
Sitka High School
One of the Wolves squad, sophomore Danica Majeski, said the team in general was “really happy about the last meet.”
She was on part of the Readers Theater group that scored a second place with the piece “Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon.” Joining her were Sagan McLaughlin, Maia Capp, Ben Hedrick and Aiden LaFriniere.
Majeski said the group was asked to give a Command Performance of the piece, which means they performed it in front of all competitors and coaches at the end of the tournament.
“It was really special to get to perform in front of everyone and have everyone react,” she said.
Majeski and Sally Everson also nabbed a fourth in duet with a scene from “The Odd Couple.” “We’ve been working on it for a while and we’re pretty proud of it,” Majeski said.
There were numerous other successes by the team at the tournament, including some competitors who finaled in all their events.
Senior Addie Poulson said the team is very strong this year, with a large number entering drama events as well as speaking events. She said the team is seeing a strong showing by underclassmen who are competing in-person for the first time. Last year’s season was all virtual.
Poulson and her teammate Darby Osborne were first in duo interpretation for “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).’’ They were also first in Public Forum Debate, under the topic of: “Increased United States federal regulation of cryptocurrency transactions and/or assets will produce more benefits than harms.”
SHS Results
Extemporaneous commentary: 1. Commentary: Rita Christianson; 2. Kori Williams; 4. Eliot Holloway
Extemporaneous speaking: 2. Darby Osborne
Informative speaking: 1. Darby Osborne
Original oratory: 1. Felix Myers
Dramatic Interpretation: 1. Isabelle Schmetzer; 2. Rita Christianson; 3. Arman Mkrtchyan
Humorous Interpretation: 1. Aiden LaFriniere; 3. Izzy Williams; 4. Sagan McLaughlin
Duo interpretation: 1. Addie Poulson and Darby Osborne; 2. Sagan McLaughlin and Maia Capp; 4. Sally Everson and Eliot Holloway
Duet acting: 1. Ben Hedrick and Eliot Holloway; 4. Danica Majeski and Sally Everson
Solo acting: 3. Maia Capp; 4. Eliot Holloway; 5. Izzy Williams.
Mime: 1. Asa Dow and Jamison Dunn; 2. Danica Majeski, Pia Knischewski, Rita Christianson, and Zoe Trafton
Readers Theater: 2. Sagan McLaughlin, Maia Capp, Danica Majeski, Ben Hedrick, and Aiden LaFriniere.
Public forum debate: 1. Addie Poulson and Darby Osborne
Mt. Edgecumbe
Coach Lynn Bastoky provided the Sentinel with comments from MEHS team members:
Senior Blake Anthony, a senior from Nightmute, called the meet a “great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the competition that everyone brought.”
Ethan Merculieff, a junior and debate captain, from Anchorage, said he’s looking forward to coming on strong at regionals in Sitka in January.
Edgecumbe’s top places included second place in duet acting for Marissa Crabtree (Chugiak) and April Wyatt (Craig); and third place in the same category for siblings Fiona Raasch and Hayden Raasch of Sitka.
Marissa Crabtree earned second-place honors for her humorous interpretation of “The Kev-Burger” by Peter Bloedel; and Hailee Wallace of Kodiak was second in solo acting.