By Susan Burton, Henry County Schools Communications Director
Paris, Tenn.–The Henry County High School Speech Team is Richmond-bound! Following an outstanding performance at the state qualifier, three team members have officially secured their spots for the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament this June.
The team brought six students to the qualifier, with four advancing to the semifinals and three advancing to nationals.
• Joshua Lancaster: Dramatic Interpretation,1st of 32 across the state of Tennessee and 2nd place in Duo Interpretation.
• Tim Tyler: 2nd place in Duo Interpretation (partnered with Lancaster).
• Maple Townsend: 5th place and National Qualifier in International Extemporaneous Speaking; also placed Top 7 in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Top 12 Finishers: AJ Wardlaw (Dramatic Interpretation) and Canaan Barrow (Dramatic Interpretation & Original Oratory).
While some students qualified in multiple categories, the final roster for the Richmond, Virginia tournament is set:
• Duo Interpretation: Joshua Lancaster & Tim Tyler
• International Extemporaneous Speaking: Maple Townsend
The TN NSDA chapter also honored Henry County Director of Schools, Dr. Leah Watkins, with the Administrator of the Year award, highlighting the district’s strong support for the program under coach David Weatherly.
Weatherly states, “The team will continue their end of the season tournaments with their state qualifier on March 20-21 at Henry County High School and the State Tournament, which will be held at Jefferson County High School in East TN on April 24-25th. The NSDA National Tournament will be held in Richmond, VA, June 14th through the 19th.”
Photo: Canaan Barrow, Tim Tyler, Joshua Lancaster, Maple Townsend, Logan Barnhart, AJ Ward, and Coach David Weatherly celebrate their performance and those headed to nationals. Photo courtesy of David Weatherly.