Kelby Czerwonka and Laura Grisham
(West Plains) – At the National Forensic League tournament held June 10-15 in Indianapolis, Indiana, West Plains High School junior Laura Grisham advanced to the semi-final round finishing 10th in the nation in the category of Humorous Interpretation.
The top 6 advance to the final round and compete for the championship performing for an audience of approximately 5000.
Teammate and recent graduate Kelby Czerwonka attended nationals in Original Oratory, placing in the top 80. She was also named one of 6 finalists for the National Forensic League (NFL)’s National Student of the Year Award. The National Student of the Year award recognizes the one student out of NFL’s more than 112,000 student members who best embodies the NFL Code of Honor: Integrity, humility, respect, leadership, and service. Nominees must also demonstrate strong academic credentials and a commitment to the speech and debate community. Grisham and Czerwonka were coached by Wendy Czerwonka, Christina Staab, and Brent Whitwell along with Alex Liimatta who coached them last year.
The West Plains High School Team is part of the Ozark NFL District along with teams such as Marshfield, all Springfield High Schools, Nixa, Ozark, Branson, Willard, Camdenton, Ava, Mansfield, and Gloria Deo Academy, to name a few. The Ozark District is always strong at the National Tournament.
The National Forensics League is a national speech and debate organization 112,000 student members strong. More than 3,200 students participated in the 2012 NFL National Tournament, the world’s largest academic contest. The event drew visitors from across the country and as far away as China. Top performers take home more than $200,000 in college scholarships.
More information on the NFL can be found at www.nflnationals.org.