The list of honors for Liberty High School continues to grow.
The latest team to be recognized for outstanding performance is the speech and debate squad of 13 students, which recently won the School of Excellence award at the national tournament in Alabama.
Coach Sean Nicewaner said he knew before the awards banquet began what was going to happen.
“I kept it a secret from the kids, I wanted it to be a surprise for them,” he said. “They were very, very excited.”
Of the 800 schools represented from 40 states competing in the tournament, only 26 received the award.
“We are very proud of our students. They represented Liberty Public Schools and the community well,” Superintendent Mike Brewer said. “They are an exceptional group.”
Nicewaner said the group’s experience was one of the keys to their success, noting a number of the students had competed at the nationals before.
“This is also a group that works hard to prepare,” he said.
That preparation included meeting at the high school for two weeks after school had let out to get ready for the nationals.
In individual performances students also fared well.
Emma Cadd captured third in storytelling, Katelin Whittaker finished eighth in Lincoln Douglas Debate and Kriste Wright reached the finals in Student Congress, according to Nicewaner who is in his fifth year as coach at the school.
Max Mikitish, Foreign Extemp, Emma Cadd and Elizabeth Stander, Duo Interp, and Eric Staves and Alexis Morris, Duo Interp, all placed in the top 30.
Susan Taylor placed in the top 60 in U.S. Interp.
Mikitish was also recognized for earning enough points over his four-year speech and debate career to finish second in the nation in points this year.