Document text
June 26, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 26, 2004 Ashland debate team talks its way to state title By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings State champs again. And again, and again, and again... For the 11th time, the Ashland High School Speech and Debate team took first place in the team sweepstakes award at the Oregon Schools Activities Association (OSAA) Speech and Debate Championships this past weekend at Linfield College in McMinnville. Each one has its own sweet rewards team members and coach agreed. The team won by 29 points, a wide margin, ahead of the second place team, Madison High School of Portland. The 11th debate atones for last year's second place finish behind Roseburg High School. Nineteen students helped AHS win this year. Sophomore Alyssa Waldman, in her first year on the debate team, was ecstatic. "It feels really great," she said this morning. "I feel like the team came together. I knew we were going to win. Our morale was awesome." AHS competed against 60 other schools from throughout Oregon. "This was the cream of the crop from throughout the state," Nikki Thommen, head coach, said. Change coming The victory was a fine going away present for the tam coaching staff. Both Thommen and assistant coach Jesse Pethtel are stepping down at the end of the school year. Thommen wants to spend more time with her three young daughters and Pethtel wants to finish her studies at the University of Oregon. Both coaches won championships as students. The pair graduated from the school in 1994 and 1997 respectfully. This is the second year Thommen has been head coach, replacing long-time coach John Tredway. It meant a lot to the team to win states for their departing coaches, Waldman said. "I really wanted them to have first place to remember us by." The emotions of winning in her last year overcame Thommen as she stepped on the bus for the ride home. "I balled," she said. "The kids are really important to me. They're like my younger siblings." AHS English teacher Susan Thorngate, who has taught speech and debate at Ashland Middle School will take over for Thommen this fall. Being part of the debate team is a time consuming activity that takes a lot of dedication and commitment from the students, Thommen said. Watching the team win was a fitting end to all their hard work. "They have such heart and talent," Thommen said. "I give so much credit to the students for their hard work and dedication." Speech and debate state championships began in 1985. No other school has won more than three state titles for speech and debate, Thommen said. The team has won more state titles for AHS than any other sport or activity. Seven members of the team will compete in the national tournament in Salt Lake City in June. The students won the right to compete by finishing well in the regional district tournament held at Southern Oregon University last month. The debate and speech team will have a fundraiser on May 28 to raise money for nationals, where the students will perform their speech and debate routines for the crowd at the high school. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams