By Marisa Dawson
Bennington High School’s speech team capped a strong regular-season push with a fourth-place finish at the EMC tournament last Saturday, then brought their talents home for a lively showcase Monday night that filled multiple classrooms with performances ranging from humorous interpretations and dramatic duos to impromptu speaking and informative presentations.
Coach James Ginal said the team’s showing at the EMC event stood out not just for the placement, but for how close they came to the podium and the clear gap that followed.
“It went really well,” Ginal said. “We placed fourth at EMC out of eight teams, middle of the pack, but there was a big drop off after us. We were four points away from finishing third but below us the fifth place finisher was about 100 points behind us. The top four were definitely separated from the rest, so we did really well.”
The day produced several career milestones. Grayson Reed, a junior, earned his first tournament victory in the demanding Extemporaneous Speaking event, while Hueffa Honliasso claimed first in Entertainment— also a first-time top finish for her in that category.
“To see them do that was really cool. And I could tell on stage they were really happy,” Ginal said. “When [Hueffa] placed first, the smile on her face was like it was completely worth it… all the kids were cheering for each other and whatnot.”
Monday’s showcase gave the community a chance to see the full breadth of the team’s work. Students performed pieces including “Be More Chill” (Oral Interpretation of Drama by Liam Doan, Addison Yates, Jack Holtorf, Oscar Andersen and Maddie Hoffman), Humorous Interpretations by Julian Kruse and Nat Rivera, Poetry by Zoey Hunt and Elliott Edwards, Extemporaneous Speaking by Grayson Reed and Grace Pfeifer, and a host of informative, duo, impromptu and entertainment entries. Spotlight group performances featured scenes from “The Goonies” and “Super Mario Brothers.”
Ginal highlighted the growing camaraderie that has defined the season. “My first year, I felt like we had a disconnect,” he said. “It’s been really good to see them come together and cheer on each other and be each other’s cheerleaders… It’s really about the kids, seeing how happy they are. It makes the long days worth it.”
The eight-month season is far from over. The team heads to Lincoln East this Friday for its final regular-season tournament (rescheduled from last week due to weather), followed by district competition March 14 at Lincoln East and the state tournament March 26-27 in Kearney. Three national qualifiers already secured spots for the May 8-10 National Speech and Debate Tournament just south of Minneapolis: a dual team entry plus individual qualifiers Jack Holtorf, Prise Yates and Aisha Mar Macossay (her second consecutive year). The team hopes to secure more national qualifiers on Friday.
Despite competing against much larger programs (Millard North fields 200 students on its team) Ginal said the Bennington squad continues to post strong ballots and finals appearances, especially among younger competitors. “I just think some of the younger competitors have really started to break through to finals,” he said. “It’s the ones that I was unsure of at the beginning of the year and now they’re doing really, really well.” He emphasized the amount of work and dedication it takes for his students to excel in their competitions.
Looking ahead, Ginal’s goals center on growth. He hopes to establish a middle-school feeder program and expand the roster, especially with a second Bennington high school opening in two years. “I’d like to grow it,” he said. “I’m trying my best to grow it… More national qualifier appearances, more state championship appearances… Progress would be size- if we can get bigger, where I have to have another coach… that would be really good.”
Above all, Ginal wants the students to carry forward the friendships, trips and personal growth the activity provides. “I hope they remember the trips that we take, the fun that we have, friends that they make, knowing that nobody ever expected them to be perfect, that thrill of competition and seeing that they can be successful,” he said. “I hope that they remember that I tried to give them a space for them to do it. For me personally, I’m not going to reach every kid, but I hope that I can at least make a little bit of an impact in their life.”
The showcase and upcoming postseason events offer the community another chance to cheer on a tight-knit group that has turned long practices and weekend travel into lasting memories and tangible success.
