A small group of Okarche High School speech team members traveled south for the annual Marlow Speech Tournament and came home with two fi rst-place finishes and one second.

The team took seven participants and all seven advanced to the fi nal rounds.

Carsyn Taylor placed first in poetry, sweeping the fi rst-place ballots.

Mikaila Kraus was tournament champion in humorous interpretation and the team of Emily Neuenschwander and Emma Stover brought home the runner-up trophies in humorous duet.

Matt Carney was a two-event finalist. Carney competed in the fi nal rounds in both foreign extemporaneous speaking and poetry.

Grace Krittenbrink was a finalist in domestic extemporaneous speaking and Chloe Meacham was a finalist in monologue.

The OHS speech team is currently working on a Christmas play, “Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,” for a mid-December performance.

The team will resume tournament competition in January.