photo by: Parker Hopkins

Free State students Anwen Williams, left, and Breahna Randall.

Free State High School’s Speech and Debate Team earned multiple top finishes and a 13th place team ranking at a tournament in Missouri.

Anwen Williams was recognized as the national champion in Extemporaneous Speaking, and Breahna Randall ranked as an octofinalist – meaning in the top 60 students – for Original Oratory, according to a news release from the Lawrence school district. Williams also finished as an octofinalist in Informative Speaking at the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions in Liberty, Missouri, over the weekend.

Both students are a part of the school’s Speech and Debate team, which this year won a state speech championship for the sixth year in a row. In addition to the individual awards, Free State placed 13th in the nation in its division, the release said.

Other Free State students who qualified and competed in the national tournament were Penny Coleman, Carter Fite, Lena Hasiuk, Olive Minor, Eli Roust, Kaitlynn Sedich and Gillian Sellet.

Two tournaments remain for the team: the NCFL National Championship coming up this weekend in Chicago and the NSDA National Championship in June in Des Moines, Iowa.