Hook, Campbell, Meyer compete at state speech meet
By Per Peterson
Three Tracy Area High School seniors wrapped up their speech careers at the 2022 Minnesota State Speech Tournament this past weekend.
Kaylee Campbell finished second for the second year in a row. Campbell’s category is Great Speeches.
“I have competed in this category for three years and placed second at state last year — I am proud to say that I did it again and finished my speech career with a second-place state finish,” Campbell said. “Just qualifying for state is a huge accomplishment, so I was so happy simply to be competing at the state tournament and to be back in person.”
Campbell, the Section 3A champion in Great Speeches, said qualifying for the final round where the top eight speakers in the state compete for placements was a surreal experience, “as everyone in the room had an incredible amount of talent. Considering how amazing my competitors are, placing second is something I am extremely proud of and (is) a great way to finish out my speech career.”
Speech coach Brittani Klaverkamp called Campbell one of the team’s strongest competitors since she joined the team, and this year was her fourth year of reaching the state level.
“Kaylee has had an awesome season, and she definitely earned her place at state,“ Klaverkamp said. “She is determined and always wants to do the nitty-gritty work, and it paid off for her.”
Senior Annaka Hook competed in the Informative Speaking category this year; 24 participants from across the state were represented at state, and Hook took eighth place overall.
See the Headlight Herald for more on this article.