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LHS speech team looks to rebuild in 2022 season

Lead Summary
By
Mavis Fodness

This season is one of rebuilding for the Luverne speech team as the regional program transitions from last year’s virtual season to this year’s in-person format.
Days before this year’s season began Saturday, the decision to compete in person was formally announced, provided that students remain masked when not competing.
“We planned to mirror what the state meet would be like so the kids would be practicing the same way,” said head coach Gavin Folkestad.
Team captains and seniors Luke Thorson, Mia Wenzel and Chance Tunnissen have participated in speech since the seventh grade.
Among their duties are pre-tournament pep talks about what being a part of a team has given to them and lessons they have learned through the years.
For Tunnissen, a three-time state speech participant, it’s about never giving up.
“If you’re a younger member, you might not be good your first year,” he said. “I remember my first year I was really down on myself. Dylan (Thorson) was my mentor and I didn’t hardly place at all. As the year went on, I learned more and practiced a lot more, and I got better.”
For Luke Thorson, speech is a family tradition (having followed in his brother Dylan’s footsteps and mom, Caroline, is an assistant speech coach). He’s also found speech is a path for personal growth.
“I always saw it as something I would really enjoy doing,” he said. “I knew it was something I could always do better and always strove to do better and I did get better.”
Thorson, who competes in humorous interpretation, earned his first state trip last year.
He is optimistic that the team can be Section 3A champions again and qualify more individuals for the state tournament.
“No matter what happens, we will give it our all even if we don’t make it,” Thorson said. “We will look back on these years as fun.”
Luverne has developed a tradition of winning, which Wenzel, as a young speech student, watched with envy as the older teammates earned trophies and ribbons for the team.
“(I) wanted to be a part of that team that won,” said Wenzel, who switched between speech categories, including entering more than one category at a tournament. She found a niche in poetry interpretation.
“You can switch if you want to switch — find that piece in which you’re comfortable,” she said.
This season Luverne fields a team of 25 students, about half the number of two years ago.
Getting younger students involved in speech is a goal of the captains so that they will return the following year.
“I want them to be inspired no matter how they do,” Wenzel said.
“I want them to be happy that they showed up. They’re going to realize they’ve just been accepted into a giant family that will be with you for the rest of your life.”
The team spends Saturdays competing at different schools as well as hosting their own home tournament in a season that’s three months long.
Sections are on April 9 with the top three individuals from each of the 13 speech categories advancing to the state tournament, April 22-23.
“We are a very competitive section with several other big teams,” coach Folkestad said. “However, we do have many returning veterans, so I am hopeful we will be able to add to our collection of trophies.”
Regular season tournaments include:
•Feb. 5, Worthington (see results).
•Feb. 12, Luverne.
•Feb. 19, Marshall.
•Feb. 26, Redwood Valley.
•March 5, Minneota.
•March 12, Southwest State University, Marshall.
•March 17, Big South Conference in Marshall.
•March 19, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton.
•March 26, Montevideo.
•March 29, Sub-section 10 in Adrian.
•April 9, Section 3A at SMSU.
•April 22-23, state speech tournament in Apple Valley.
Junior High tournaments include:
•Feb. 15, Tracy.
•March 1, Adrian.
•To be determined, Luverne.

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