Bethany Christian High School's speech and debate program held its team awards ceremony on Monday evening, March 29, in the school cafeteria.
Students who qualified for the national tournament were honored, including seniors Naomi Klassen in original oratory, Jack Hager and Ethan Neuschwander in Lincoln-Douglas debate, and Aaron Yeakey in Congressional debate. Junior Josiah Schlabach qualified in United States extemporaneous speaking, and freshman Nico Brenneman-Ochoa nabbed a spot in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Named to the All-Northeast Indiana District team were Klassen, Hager, Neuschwander, Yeakey, and junior Jacob Leininger.
Senior Naomi Klassen was recognized for high net points on the season, finishing with 570 NFL merit points, and for concluding her career with the second-highest number of NFL points in Bethany Christian program history, over 1500 in total. Freshman Ian McHugh earned net high point honors for a first-year speaker, finishing his initial season with 274 NFL points.
Earning varsity letters were seniors Klassen, Hager, Yeakey, Erika Lopez, and Neuschwander; juniors Leininger and Schlabach; and freshman McHugh and Brenneman-Ochoa.
Bethany speakers and debaters will compete in the virtual National Tournament in June after the conclusion of the school year.
PHOTO ID: National qualifiers, L-R: Brenneman-Ochoa, Klassen, Hager, Yeakey, Schlabach. (Not pictured: Ethan Neuschwander)
Team photo, L-R: Front row: Lopez, Klassen, Hager, McHugh, Olivia Renze. Back row: Brenneman-Ochoa, Schlaback, Yeakey, Leininger. (Not pictured: Ethan Neuschwander, Samuel Klopfenstein)