Girl slightly bent down with her hands on her knees smiling big

Our high schools had a weekend to remember at the State Oral Interp Festival held in Sturgis on December 6th and 7th!  Competing against top performers from across the state, students from Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington High Schools demonstrated exceptional talent and teamwork, earning recognition and accolades in multiple categories.

In the highly competitive events, several students achieved “Superior with Distinction” ratings, an honor awarded for achieving perfect scores (5-5-5) from all three judges. Notably, Washington High School’s Annan Musa, Jefferson High School’s Teonna Randle, and Washington’s Reader Theatre team received this distinguished recognition.

All students and teams listed in these individual highlights below received a superior rating.

AA Non-Original Oratory
+ Washington’s Damien Deen
+ Jefferson’s Meridian Hailu

AA Serious Reading
+ Jefferson’s Kyra Rivera
+ *Washington’s Annan Musa

AA Reader’s Theatre
+ Jefferson’s Teonna Randle, Meridian Hailu, Kyra Rivera, Kairie “Kai” Rivera, Edom Hiruy, Elise Klein
+ *Washington’s Damien Deen, Olivia Hulscher, Kenzynique Wilson, Khady Diaw, Annan Musa, Rakiya Stocklin

AA Humorous Reading
+ Jefferson’s Kairie Rivera (Kai)
+ Lincoln’s Jackson Klawonn
+ Washington’s Damien Deen

AA Storytelling
+ Lincoln’s Lauren Huber
+ Jefferson’s Kairie "Kai" Rivera

AA Duet Interpretation
+ Washington’s Folomaina David, Adriana David
+ Jefferson’s Meridian Hailu, Teonna Randle
+ Lincoln’s Jackson Klawonn and Kaci Bucneberg

AA Poetry Reading
+ Washington’s Olivia Hulscher
+ Lincoln’s Kaci Buckneberg
+ * Jefferson’s Teonna Randle

Team Excellence Awards
+ Jefferson (Head Coach: Shannon McMackin)
+ Washington (Head Coach: Michelle McIntyre)
+ Lincoln (Head Coach: Mia Becic)

The achievements reflect months of dedication, preparation, and passion! SFSD is proud of all the student participants and celebrates their outstanding performances at this year’s festival. Congratulations to all!

For more pictures from the weekend, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdpb/albums/72177720322410795
(Photo courtesy of South Dakota Public Broadcasting. ©2024 SDPB | Landon DeBoer)