Oakville Students Host Speech and Debate Competition

was buzzing Saturday as the school’s Speech and Debate team co-hosted the third annual Brentwood-Oakville Forensic Invitational.

The invitational included six rounds of debate Saturday with more than 200 students from 14 schools competing in front of 252 judges. Friday was the speech and congress competition at Brentwood High School.

Jefferson City High School took away first place in the speech, congress and debate sweep, with Ladue, Parkway West, Marquette and Mexico coming in second through fifth.

Since Oakville hosted the tournament, they did not compete. But speech and debate members were busy picking up ballots, tabbing, checking rooms and making sure people found their way around, said Speech and Debate coach Ed Taylor.

At Friday’s competition at Brentwood, Oakville’s Jenny Keeton and Sean Klefner took third place in Duo Interpretation and Jessica Herbert took second in Pros Interpretation.

Taylor said judges came from far and wide to help with the tournament. Parents, friends, teachers, a school board member and several alums from the speech and debate team pitched in to help.