East Mountain’s Oakleaf Repeats as State Informative Speaking Champion

SANDIA PARK, N.M. — The East Mountain High School speech and debate team capped a successful second half of its season with a dominant showing at the state tournament, led by a repeat state champion and a Coach of the Year selection.

Grayson Oakleaf successfully defended his title, finishing as the state champion in Informative Speaking for the second consecutive year. Oakleaf also placed as a finalist in United States Extemporaneous Speaking.

The “T-Wolves” saw strong performances across several categories at the state level:

• Andrew Procter: Earned second place in United States Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Elias AlaridPease: Secured third place in Dramatic Interpretation.
• Cesar Cereceres: Advanced to the finals in United States Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Everett Anderson: Reached the semifinals in Original Oratory.
• Miller Millea: Placed first in the second round of United States Extemporaneous Speaking.

In team competition, the duo of Grayson Oakleaf and Andrew Procter earned the top ranking in Varsity Public Forum Debate among teams that finished just outside of the quarterfinal rounds.

National Qualifiers

Four students earned spots to compete at the National Speech & Debate Tournament this summer in Richmond, Virginia:

Cesar Cereceres will serve as the second alternate in United States Extemporaneous Speaking, while Everett Anderson was recognized for a strong performance in the national qualifying rounds for Original Oratory.

Coaching Honors

The program’s success was further highlighted by individual accolades for the coaching staff. Atalie Nelson was named the Speech Coach of the Year, a testament to the team’s growth and competitive consistency throughout the season.