Alaska Forensics

State

ALASKA

League Information
Overview 

The Alaska School Activities Association League (ASAA) regulates all high school activities in the state of Alaska since 1957, including forensics speech and debate. Originally started to oversee basketball tournaments and run by the state, the ASAA now operates independently of the State and regulates sports, academic, and fine arts activities. The ASAA works to set-up rules, prevent the exploitation of high school students, promote sportsmanship, and certifies officials, among other things. Also a member of the National Federation of State High Scool Associations, the ASAA thus helps to form a nationalized standardization for rules and has a say in choosing that year's debate topic.

Key Officers 

Executive Director: Gary Matthews

Director of Special Events/Website Content Manage: John Andrews

Director of Office Operations/Marketing: Lavonne Norman

Associate Director: Rus Schreckenghost

Administrative Assistant: Phyllis Aanonson

Fine Arts Coordinator: Cam Bohman

Events Offered 

Solo Acting, Mime, Duet Acting, Readers’ Theater, Dramatic Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Humorous Interpretation, Expository Speaking, Extemporaneous Commentary, Domestic Extemporaneous, Foreign Extemporaneous, Original Oration, Public Forum Debate, Lincoln Douglas Debate, Cross Examination

2009 Finalists 

Solo Acting

1. Alaire Hughey (Sitka)

2. Alini Jashiki (Skagway)

3. Nicole Chamberlin (West)

4. Elena Horner (Haines)

5. Hannah Hamberg (Sitka)

6. Max Aronson (West)

7. Lindsey Leonard (West)

Mime

1. Lindsay Cason & Madeline Bundy (West)

2. April Snelson & Zack Bauder (Sitka)

3. Sam Woolsey & Seaton Bryan (Sitka)

4. Andrew Rizzo (Service)

5. Rachel Rosefigura, Megan Birchell, David Spyke & Hunter Guarino (West)

6. Drew Baltzell, Aihan Goldberg, Surg Heywood (Haines)

Duet Acting

1. Caitlin Woolsey & Berrett Wilber (Sitka)

2. Madeline Overturf & Max Aronson (West)

3. Kate Lindsley & Elena Horner (Haines)

4. Ryan Smalley & Brooke Cinocco (Haines)

5. Lindsey Leonard & Madeline Bundy (West)

6. Hannah Hamberg & Aren Vastola (Sitka)

7. Tristan Rutherford & Caty Reid (Nikiski)

Readers’ Theater 

1. Grim’s Spectaculathon (Haines)

2. Mystery (Sitka)

3. Iddiodity (Chugiak)

4. RT1 (West)

5. Soap Opera (Service)

6. Least Offensive Play (West)

Dramatic Interpretation

1. Hannah Hostetler (Haines)

2. Katie Spence (Homer)

3. Esther Bower (Haines)

4. Madeline Overturf (West)

5. Max Aronson (West)

Duo Interpretation

1. Karlyn Matson & Jacob Gerschel (Chugiak)

2. Hannah Hostetler & Ryan Smalley (Haines)

3. Sam Woolsey & Alaire Hughey (Sitka)

4. Hunter Guarino & Madeline Bundy (West)

5. Aihan Goldberg & Chris Bowman (Haines)

Humorous Interpretation

1. Lindsey Leonard (West)

2. Caitlin Woolsey (Sitka)

3. Karlyn Matson (Chugiak)

4. Sarah D’water (Homer)

5. Seaton Bryan (Sitka)

6. Rachel Rosefigura (West)

7. Zack Bauder (Sitka)

Expository Speaking

1. Margaret Mielke (Chugiak)

2. Caitlin Woolsey (Sitka)

3. Sam Woolsey (Sitka)

4. Brandy Mayo (Skagway)

5. Shelby Surdyk (Skagway)

6. Brandon Boyer (Chugiak)

Extemporaneous Commentary

1. Amy Parrent (Sitka)

2. Esther Smith (Chugiak)

3. Alex Albright (South)

4. Kaycie Thompson (Dimond)

Tie for 5. Bethany Munoz (Juneau-Douglas) Justin Oler (Dimond)

Domestic Extemporaneous

1. Calvin Drake (Sitka)

2. Lindsay Cason (West)

3. Grace Abbott (West)

4. Griffen Imig (Dimond)

5. Paul Gabrys (Chugiak)

6. Samuel Harris (Chugiak)

Foreign Extemporaneous

1. Shelby Surdyk (Skagway)

2. Sheridan Slater (Chugiak)

3. Austin Heyroth (South)

4. Nathaniel Rubin (West)

5. Aren Vastola (Sitka)

6. Margaret Mielke (Chugiak)

7. Cooper Gale (Sitka)

Original Oration

1. Shelby Surdyk (Skagway)

2. Nathaniel Rubin (West)

3. Alini Jashiki (Skagway)

4. Hannah Hostetler (Haines)

5. Amy Parrent (Sitka)

6. Calvin Drake (Sitka)

PFD Top Ten Speakers

1. Aren Vastola (Sitka)

2. Sheridan Slater (Chugiak)

3. Chris Bowman (Haines)

4. John Jessen (Bartlett)

5. Emerson Quarton (Homer)

6. Rachel Rosefigura (West)

7. Brandon Boyer (Chugiak)

8. Esther Bower (Haines)

9. Amy Parrent (Sitka)

10. Victoria Bledsoe (Chugiak)

CX Top Ten Speakers

1. Wiley Cason (West)

2. Brett Scruton (West)

3. Grace Abbott (West)

4. Paul Gabrys (Chugiak)

5. Daniel Schwicht (South)

6. Adam Eichholz (West)

7. Bailey Richards (Homer)

8. Bonnie Etter (Eagle River)

9. Ruby Quarton (Homer)

10. Dylan Hardenbergh (South)

Public Forum Debate

1. Calvin Drake & Cooper Gale (Sitka)

2. Ryan Smalley & Chris Bowman (Haines)

Semifinalists: Amy Parrent & Aren Vastola (Sitka) Sheridan Slayder & David Smith (Chugiak)

Quarterfinalists: Elena Coe & Emily Klopfer (Dimond) Cheyenne DeLoach & Emerson Quarton (Homer) Esther Bower & Emily Bowman (Haines) Rachel Rosefigura & Hunter Guarino (West)

Lincoln Douglas Debate

Tied for 1. Kenneth Hubbell (South) & Jesse Lehman (South)

Semifinalists: Lindsay Cason (West) Sam Harris (Chugiak)

Quarterfinalists: Erik Peterson (Dimond) Nathaniel Rubin (West) Austin Heyroth (South) Esther Smith (Chugiak)

Cross Examination

1. Grace Abbott & Wiley Cason (West)

2. Paul Gabrys & Meg Mielke (Chugiak)

Semifinalists: William Jasper & Ben Blue (Homer) Leeza Mastre & Clara Noomah (Homer)

Quarterfinalists: Claire Schapira & Dylan Hardenbergh (South) Daniel Schwicht & Zachariah Vanlandingham (South) Brett Scruton & Adam Eichholz (West) Katy Chan & Kaycie Thompson (Dimond)