Lawrence High School hosted its annual forensics tournament Saturday, drawing competitive speakers from 10 schools throughout northeast Kansas.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Free State High School forensics coach Jo Ball had only a few minutes Saturday to read through ballots from the preliminary rounds at the Lawrence High School forensics tournament, and then get her team geared up for the finals. Free State advanced 13 entries into the final rounds and scored first-place finishes in foreign extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Free State High School forensics coach Jo Ball, foreground, gives her team a pep talk before the start of the final round Saturday at the Lawrence High School invitational tournament. Free State had 13 entries advance to finals, but came in second in the sweepstakes competition behind Piper High School.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Lawrence High School forensics coach Jeff Plinsky, center, supervises the tabulation of ballots Saturday at the schools annual forensics tournament.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Hannah Moran of Free State High School rehearses Saturday before a preliminary round in foreign extemporaneous speaking. In that event, students randomly draw a topic about international relations from an envelope and have 30 minutes to prepare and memorize a five-minute speech. Moran placed second in he event behind teammate Alex Houston.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Haley Knudsen of Blue Valley North High School won the Dramatic Interpretation event at Lawrence High School's forensics tournament Saturday. Knudsen performed a reading from "We Need to Talk About Kevin," by Lionel Shriver, a fictional story about a mother whose son has committed a school massacre.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Joseph Bricker of Blue Valley North High School performs Saturday during the final round of Dramatic Interpretation at the Lawrence High School forensics tournament. Bricker performed a selection from "The Catcher in the Rye," by J.D. Sallinger. Bricker placed fourth in the event.

Lawrence High School forensics students sift through ballots Saturday to determine who would advance to the finals in 12 different speaking competitions. The tournament drew competitors from 10 schools in northeast Kansas. Piper High School in Kansas City won the sweepstakes trophy for best overall team performance. Free State High School finished second overall.

photo by: Peter Hancock

Free State High School's Alex Houston, left, and Carl Palmquist draw topics Saturday in the foreign extemporaneous speaking event at the Lawrence High School forensics tournament. Houston placed first in the event. Palmquist placed fourth. Free State finished second overall in the tournament's sweepstakes competition.