NORFOLK – The Northeast Community College speech team closed out the 2013-14 season with a first place finish at a national tournament.

The Hawks captured the Division II First Place Team Sweepstakes trophy at the Junior Varsity National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.

Coach Terry Nelson said with the combined speaker points in nearly 20 entries including impromptu speaking, extemporaneous speaking, duo interpretation, dramatic interpretation, program of oral interpretation, poetry interpretation, prose interpretation, and informative speaking, the team earned first place in its division.

The six freshmen who make up the team are Musa Fofana, Serrekunda, The Gambia; Joe Lose, Kansas City, MO; Benjamin Temple, Norfolk; Erica Temple, Norfolk; Drew Sempek, Stromsburg; and Jordan Sager, Norfolk.

Benjamin Temple earned a second place trophy for informative speaking while Lose also placed second for dramatic interpretation.

“This is an exhilarating experience for these students,” Nelson said. “They’ve been working hard in proudly earning over 50 trophies this season. These freshmen are already thinking of events for next year.”