Muldrow Celebrates Another State Championship
The Muldrow Speech and Debate Team has been crowned the 2023 4A State Champions for the sixth time in the program’s history.
Under the leadership of Chris and Erin Larcade, the Bulldogs set out for competition this season with their gold glitter, red Crocs, and a host of supportive families and community partners. Starting in November 2022, they competed in 9 regular-season tournaments across the state to claim 51 qualifications for regional competition.
In March, Muldrow earned the Southeast Regional Championship with 26 qualifications for the State Tournament held at the University of Tulsa.
Although Muldrow won their respective region, the team came into the state tournament in fourth place by qualifications.
“I knew from the beginning that for our game plan to be successful, the stars would have to be aligned, and everyone would have to do more than what they believed they were capable of doing,” said Coach Chris Larcade. “Some of these kids have never been at this level of competition before, and we were going to be asking a lot of them.”
The Bulldog Speech and Debate Team secured 20 state finalists out of their 26 entries. Muldrow outscored top-ranked Mount Saint Mary, 64 to 60 to claim the state title.
“Speech is universal, and to be successful, you’ve got to have students who do more than just speech and debate. This trophy represents more than a great competition season; it's the students' award for what they do every day,” said Coach Chris Larcade. “Our team is comprised of student-athletes, cheerleaders, band members, and leaders in FFA, FCCLA, Student Council, and every organization on our campus. These students hold part-time jobs, are leaders in local youth ministries, and spend hours volunteering in our community. They excel in academics, many at the top of their class. They operate cameras, announce the Homecoming royalty, and work tirelessly behind the scenes to promote the best of Muldrow High School.”
State finalists and qualifiers are as follows:
Original Oratory: Ella Webster-Baker - 7th place, Jaci Walker - state qualifier
Standard Oratory: Jason Fricks, Makayla Hopping, and Aiden Jennings - state qualifiers
Interpretation of Prose: Mason Brignac - State Runner-Up
Dramatic Interpretation: Lily Gibson - 4th place
Humorous Interpretation: Luke Hallum - State Champion, Nick Rhodes - 7th place
Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking: Dawson Smith - 4th place
Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking: Jaci Walker - 3rd place, Izzy Swafford - 4th place, Jason Fricks - 7th place
Monologue: Ella Webster-Baker - State Runner-Up, Brooke Frost - state qualifier
Interpretation of Poetry: Ella Claborn - State Champion
Humorous Duet: Luke Hallum & Ella Webster-Baker - State Runner-Up
Dramatic Duet: Cade Armer & Drew Luttrell - 3rd place, Luke Hallum & Jaci Walker - 4th place, Lily Gibson & Izzy Swafford - 6th place
Policy Team Debate: Ella Claborn & Lily Gibson - 4th place, Jason Fricks and Dawson Smith 7th place, and Cade Armer & Matt Cook - state qualifiers.
Public Forum Debate: Drew Luttrell & Nick Rhodes - 5th place, Ely Moore & Bryson Swafford - 8th place
Lincoln Douglas Debate: Izzy Swafford - State Runner-Up