Rock Ridge speech team clinches section championship

The Rock Ridge speech team has won the 2022 7A Section Championship. Now they are preparing for the state competition next week.

WDIO stopped by to meet some of the students on Tuesday.

Eli Boe, a senior, said, "The fact that we sent 22 kids to sections and 12 are advancing to the state tournament, is really impressive. It really shows all the hard work that students put in to speech, and the work the coaches put in to helping us."

As for the emotions about winning sections, well, they were big. "We are very excited to go to state and make our mark there. We put a lot of work into this, and I think we deserved it," Abbie Sundich added. She’s a senior, who told us that speech helped her get her first job, at Target.

Azalea Ray agrees. The senior told us, "It’s helped me with job interviews, and public speaking. It definitely makes a difference with social skills."

Students practice on their own and at their team practice. "It’s not a huge commitment, but it really is going to help you be successful in your future," Ellie Norvitch shared. She’s a sophomore, who was excited to do the in-person events for the first time this year.

Assistant coach Kaiti Rigstad explained more about the confidence building, "It’s about communication, with the coaches, with the judges, with the other tems. They’re practicing these skills, and it helps set up kids for what they’ll need later in life."

There will be a school send off before they leave. The state tournament is coming up on the 22nd.