This weekend three senior members of the Wadsworth High School Speech and Debate team punched their ticket to the national tournament this summer in Des Moines, Iowa.

The team recently competed in a weekend-long national qualifying tournament, called Bigs.  To advance, participants need to place in the top three of their category out of roughly 50 competitors.

Anna Wallace qualified for her third year in a row in Informative Speaking.  This year Wallace’s topic focuses on local businesses and how they’re fighting back against large corporations.

“It’s [Informative Speaking] similar to public speaking, kind of like a Ted Talk,” Wallace said.  “I have visual aids that I use to show statistics and facts.”

Over her four-year career in Speech and Debate, Wallace has earned many accolades.  This will be her third consecutive year qualifying for the national tournament, and her fourth year attending states.

“I think it’s just fun to qualify and I normally don’t have any expectations, but being the third time going I want to do as best as I can,” Wallace said.

In Duo Interpretation, a competitive acting event, Johnny Burkhart and Stella Breuers qualified for nationals for the first time.  Duo Interpretation includes two participants acting out a script without looking at each other or touching.

“This is our first year being a duo, so expectations were kind of low,” Burkhart said. “However, we practiced a lot and were able to get through.”

The qualifying team members will travel to Iowa with their coaches for a week-long tournament from June 16-21.

“I love traveling and I’m excited to go down to Des Moines and just have fun,” Burkhart said. 

On top of the national tournament, 14 team members will be attending the state tournament on March 1.