Heimes qualifies for national speech tourney; Wynot earns 10th at Wayne

WAYNE – The Wynot High School speech team earned a top-10 finish at the Wayne High/Wayne State Classic.

Wynot competed at the 2024 edition of the contest on Feb. 3, placed 10th out of more than 20 teams with 50 points and saw its only senior not only come away with two top-two individual finishes at the meet, but qualify for a national tournament as well.

There were three sets of individual finals during the Wayne competition – the top six finishers in the Champs Final, the next six finishers in the Honors Final and the next six finishers in the Merit Final.

Wynot senior Isabelle Heimes placed first in the Champs Final for Serious Prose and second in the Champs Final for Program of Oral Interpretation.

“Isabelle also automatically qualified for the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC) by becoming a finalist in the MASQ (Making Art while Socially Quarantined) tournament held asynchronous this weekend,” Wynot head speech coach Heather Heimes said.

Isabelle Heimes placed third in the Open Division of Dramatic Interpretation in The MASQ Virtual Regional No. 2.

“This is the one (Isabelle) needed to qualify for nationals,” Heather Heimes said. “Usually that doesn’t happen for us until State. It takes two bids to qualify for nationals so you either participate in bid tournaments or you qualify by making that top three at your State competition.”

The MASQ is designed to give participants a competitive digital experience with competitive costs and no judge requirements.

This regional competition serves as a qualifier for the NIETOC.

“For the MASQ competition, if you get in the top 12, you get one bid,” Heather Heimes said. “Top six, you get two bids and automatically qualify.”

She explained how a speech student would earn bids for the NIETOC at the Nebraska School Activities Association State Speech Championships.

“At the State competition, if you win a medal in fourth through sixth place, you get one bid,” Heather Heimes said. “If you medal first through third, you get two bids and automatically qualify.

“Also, if you are a state qualifier in last year’s tournament medaling first through sixth, you get one bid,” she said. “(Isabelle) already had one bid so she just wanted to ensure she got one more and made it, which she did.”

The 2024 edition of the NIETOC is set for May 10-12 in Bellevue, “which is awesome because I expect more Nebraska students participating this year, but participants not only participate from all over the United States, but some participate from Asia, the Philippines and more,” Heather Heimes said.

As for the rest of Wynot’s results from the Wayne speech meet, Isabelle Heimes, junior Joslyn Hochstein, junior Kallie Steffen and freshman Cash Lenzen placed fourth in the Honors Final for Oral Interpretation of Drama. Hochstein also placed first in the Merit Final for Entertainment Speaking.

Wynot next will compete in Humphrey on Feb. 10.

Wynot senior earns two top finishes at Hartington meet

HARTINGTON – Members of the Wynot High School speech team are ready to show they have a way with words.

Wynot competed at the Hartington- Newcastle/Cedar Catholic Invitational on Jan. 27 to start the 2024 season and saw its only senior – Isabelle Heimes – come away with two first-place finishes.

Heimes took the top spot in the Champs Final – the top six individual finishers – of the varsity division in Serious Prose and Program of Oral Interpretation.

Junior Joslyn Hochstein finished in fourth place in the Honors Final – the next six individual finishers – of the varsity division in Entertainment Speaking.

Sophomore Rylie Tilley placed third in the junior division of Entertainment Speaking and sophomore Boston Wiebelhaus recorded a sixth-place finish in the JV division of Informative Speaking.

Heather Heimes, who is in her 12th year as Wynot’s head speech coach, noted her eight speech students started practicing Jan. 3 to prepare for this season.

“Weather has been a serious issue for practicing, but thanks to Zoom, we are able to get together with our individual events,” she said. “We have a small team, but they are practicing hard.”

In addition to Serious Prose and Program of Oral Interpretation, Isabelle Heimes also participates in Oral Interpretation of Drama.

Hochstein also takes part in Duet Acting and Oral Interpretation of Drama in addition to Entertainment Speaking.

Junior Kallie Steffen participates in Informative Speaking, Duet Acting and Oral Interpretation of Drama. Tilley takes part in Serious Prose in addition to Entertainment Speaking.

As for freshmen on the team, Brianna Pinkelman participates in Persuasive Speaking, Taylor Pinkelman takes part in Extemporaneous and Informative Speaking, and Cash Lenzen participates in Entertainment Speaking and Oral Interpretation of Drama.

“Izzy and Joslyn performed at State last year,” Heather Heimes said. “Kallie and Rylie were on last year’s team.”

Wynot will travel to speech meets in Humphrey on Feb. 10 and then Crofton on Feb. 17.

The Lewis and Clark Conference contest is set for March 4 in Osmond.