CHANUTE — Iola High School’s forensics team members put the finishing touches on another stellar season Saturday.
Iola tied for the team sweeps title at the Chanute Speech and Drama Championships, buoyed by first-place finishes from six individual entries.
Max Andersen led a 1-2-3 finish in winning the Oral Interpretation of Prose category, followed by Madelyn Ashworth in second, Shaun McLaughlin in third and Briley Prather in fifth.
Demarco Ross took first in Oral Interpretation of Poetry.
Bella Rahming and Andersen went 1-2, respectively in Program of Oral Interpretation, and Everett Glaze was tops in Serious Solo Acting.
Glaze teamed up with Cole Moyer to win the Duet Acting Category, followed by Ross and Kaeden Vega in second.
Lily Lohman and Bella Rahming were the winners of the Improvised Duet Acting category, while Moyer and Vega took second.
Glaze took fifth and Evie Schooler sixth in Humorous Solo Acting.
WITH THE regular season out of the way, the Iola troupe can set its sights on state.
Among those are the aforementioned Andersen, two-time defending state champion in Oral Interpretation of Prose, Ross state winner in Oral Interpretation of Poetry last year, and Glaze and Moyer, who won state in 2024 in Duet Acting.
Top finishers through the season qualify for the upcoming Class 3A Speech and Drama Championships in Maize May 3. Iola took fourth as a team last season.
Iola racked up 19 state qualifiers through the season, but is allowed to take only 16 to state.
“We have a few tough decisions to make,” head coach Regina Chriestenson said.
Iola will host a forensics showcase at 6 p.m. April 28 in the Creitz Recital Hall of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
