West Fargo, ND – (May 26, 2023) – Members of the West Fargo High School, Sheyenne High School, and Horace High School speech and debate teams excelled at the local North Dakota Roughrider District competitions and qualified for the National Speech & Debate Association’s National Tournament scheduled for June 12 – June 16 in Phoenix, Arizona.  

Members attending the national tournament include:  

• Nyssa Haslerud, West Fargo High School, for World Schools Debate  
• Sumaya Abukar, West Fargo High School, for Programmed Oral Interpretation  
• Hosna Dawlaty & Vidyaa Lav, Sheyenne High School, for Public Forum Debate  
• Asiya Gedi, Sheyenne High School, for Original Oratory   
• Jonah Follingstad, Sheyenne High School, for International Extemporaneous Speaking  
• Reagan Koppelman, Sheyenne High School, for World Schools Debate   
• Elena Weng, Sheyenne High School, for Big Questions Debate  
• Nadir Mohamed, Horace High School, for Congressional Debate – Senate  
• Griffin Terras, Horace High School, for Congressional Debate – Senate  
• Jordan Graves & Maggie Dick, Horace High School, for Public Forum Debate  
• Veda Voegele & Alora Rude, Horace High School, for Duo Interpretation   
• Savannah Mauch, Horace High School, for Dramatic Interpretation  
• Mercy Johnson, Horace High School, for Dramatic Interpretation  
• Levi Gorden, Horace High School, for International Extemporaneous Speaking    
• Corinne Schmidt, Horace High School, for World Schools Debate  

The West Fargo High School congress team is coached by Brittney Muske, the speech team is coached by Dakota Breen, Brittney Muske, and Seth Schaefer.  The Sheyenne High School congress team is coached by Kelsey Johnson and Krista Hulderman; the debate team is coached by Nathan Kurtti and Steph Radle; the speech team is coached by Kelsey Johnson, Krista Hulderman, and Cody Rowe. The Horace High School congress team is coached by Nathan Amberg and Cassidy Hughes; the debate team is coached by Nathan Amberg and Emily Klusman; the speech team is coached by Nathan Amberg, Jenny Krueger, Bill Egan, and Cassidy Hughes.   

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION  

The National Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States. The Association provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 150,000 students and coaches every year. For 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered more than 1.5 million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our society. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org.  

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