"We were really happy," Coach Dan Westerburg said of the team's wins.
Whitney Cushing placed third in a Lincoln-Douglas debate, a one-on-one event.
"For Whitney to get third after doing this for one year is just remarkable," Westerburg said.
Cushing also took fifth place overall in the domestic extemporaneous speaking category, in which entrants were given a topic on some domestic issue, and had half an hour to prepare an eight-minute speech.
Team members Kristen Tonga and Luke Westerburg also did well, barely missing out on the final rounds in their respective events. Tonga competed in the Lincoln-Douglas style debate, and received favorable remarks from the judges for her participation in dramatic interpretation, Coach Westerburg said.
Luke Westerburg participated in an extemporaneous commentary event, which is similar to domestic extemporaneous speaking except that it typically involves a pop culture-related topic.
"The sportsmanship award came as a surprise," the coach said. "And other students were very enthusiastic about Homer starting up the program."
The tournament brings the DDF season to an end, but Westerburg is planning a clinic sometime in August, which will be directed at middle school students advancing into high school.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
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