The Luverne High School speech team hosted their home invitational Saturday amid cordoned-off construction areas.
Nineteen schools attended the local event with 244 competitors.
Twenty-three LHS students competed but, as hosts, didn’t participate in the team competition.
Murray County Central High School in Slayton took home the large-school team trophy. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton High School won first place among small-schools team.
Results for Luverne speech team members placing individually were as follows:
•Creative expression: Solveig Tofteland, first.
•Discussion: Alexa Chesley, second; Melanie Rittenhouse, fourth.
•Extemporaneous reading: Nicole Hoogland, first.
•Extemporaneous speaking: Chance Tunnissen, first; Parker Carbonneau, third.
•Humorous: Seno Chanthalangsy, third; Gunnar Oldre, fourth; Luke Thorson, fifth.
•Storytelling: Xavier Carbonneau, third; Hannah Baker, sixth.
In addition to competing, Luverne students helped fellow competitors find their performance rooms and answer questions.
“This year there was more to deal with due to the construction taking place,” said coach Caroline Thorson. “We had to use rooms and space that we usually try to avoid.”
Luverne will host its junior high tournament Thursday.
Varsity team members will compete Saturday in Adrian.
“It’s always fun to be able to host our tournament, but it requires a great deal of work and a great deal of support,” Thorson said. “We are so appreciative to the speech parents who took care of the food and the concession stand and the organization of that part leading up to the meet.”