Bemidji speech students shine at national tournament in Shakopee

Bemidji High School seniors Brynn Klaers and Kaitlyn Laitala brought home national recognition from Shakopee, with Klaers finishing in the top 20 in International Extemporaneous Speaking and Laitala reaching the semifinal round in consolation Poetry at the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions.

The tournament ran May 7-10 at Shakopee High School and featured individual events that test quick thinking, writing, memorization and performance under pressure, including Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Original Oratory, Informative Speaking, Program of Oral Interpretation, United States Extemp and International Extemp. Champions in the main events and the top individual performer receive scholarships, which makes the competition as much a showcase of academic skill as a stage for performance.

Klaers advanced to the quarterfinals in International Extemporaneous Speaking, while Laitala competed in Dramatic Interpretation before moving into Poetry and advancing through consolation competition. Both students earned their national berths through season-long qualifying performances, a run that began in mid-January and stretched across repeated meets, preparation sessions and the pressure of advancing round by round.

The result also fits a longer pattern for Klaers and for Bemidji’s speech program. In January 2025, Klaers was the only rural Northern Minnesota student to advance to state competition in debate, and that success came as her speech and debate work was helping her build public speaking ability, friendships and leadership skills. Speech coach Tom Lucas has said high school speech programs help students build skills that can enhance future careers and lives, a point that national results like this make harder to ignore.

Bemidji’s recent spring results showed the depth behind the national finish. In March 2026, the Bemidji High School speech team placed second of 20 teams at the Chuck Beckman Memorial Tournament in Walker, where Klaers won both Extemporaneous Speaking and Original Oratory and other Bemidji competitors also medaled. Earlier, in April 2025, 89 students from 27 Northern Minnesota speech teams qualified for the state meet, underscoring how competitive the regional pipeline has become.

For Bemidji Area Schools, the Shakopee results offered a clear reminder that academic extracurriculars can deliver the same discipline, pressure and long-term payoff that families often associate with athletics. Klaers and Laitala did not just reach another tournament bracket, they represented a school program that is producing students who can think, write and perform at a national level.