Have ten minutes ever seemed like an eternity? Well, that is how it felt for sophomores Dennis Sauter and duo partner Mike Carroll in the final round of the Speech Tournament Saturday January 7 at Arvada West High School. There were no sets, costumes, makeup, or director, but when these two boys get on stage with all eyes on them one does not even notice the difference.

"We should have taken first or second," stated Sauter, but, the duo took fourth in the annual "Hell of the West" debate and forensics tournament instead.

The Hell of the West Tournament, traditionally sponsored by Arvada West High School, is one of the longest of the year. Pomona debate and forensic students invested nearly 22 hours throughout the weekend of January 6-7 at the high school but spent only one hour of that actually competing. However, Sauter and Carroll stole the show.

Taking fourth at a tournament like that is not an easy task. "We probably have spent 50 hours total practicing on this one piece," Carroll explained. Though they planned to do better, the sophomores were not discouraged. "Most of the kids we compete against are upperclassmen but that does not scare us," joked Carroll. The pair have enjoyed unusual success for a sophomore team.

Sauter and Carroll's success has caught many by surprise, including their coach, Alex Mueller. "The fact that these two boys are doing so well as only sophomores is amazing," he said After taking fourth at the A-West tournament and first at the DPS tournament, being successful is becoming easier and easier.

The judging process of a duo interpretation is more complex then one may think. The speakers have a total of ten minutes to speak and cannot make eye contact the entire performance. "Minimal movement" is required of the team while on stage.

"The hardest part is trying not to laugh towards the end," stated Carroll. The teams are rated on a fifty point scale and are graded on: introduction, selection, insight, characterization, delivery, and the general effectiveness of the piece.

The only other person on the team to make it past the first round of the "Hell of the West" contest was senior Justin Hunt, who made it to the quarterfinals. "Being in debate tournaments is lots of fun, but it takes a lot of time and dedication to do well," Hunt stated.

The Debate team is currently getting prepared for tomorrow's Jefferson County Invitational and the Douglas County Invitational February 10th.