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White Bear Lake High School grads take national debate stage
Sanyu Mwassa and Mariam Elias Danjuma are the first Black women champions in the duo category in the tournament’s 124-year history.
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. — Two high school graduates from White Bear Lake High School just did something that’s never been done before.
Sanyu Mwassa and Mariam Elias Danjuma took home a top prize at this year’s National Speech & Debate Tournament. They are the first Black women to win the duo category in the tournament’s 124-year history.
It’s recognized as the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle and high school students in the United States. It is also the national authority on public speaking and debate.
“We’re two peas in a pod,” said Mwassa about Elias Danjuma. The two have also been best friends since about second grade. “We’re so grateful for our connection.”
They spent a month practicing their performance of 2020’s “The 40-year-old Version,” a film about a down-on-her-luck playwright salvaging her voice by starting to rap instead at 40 years old. The film is written, directed and produced by Radha Blank.
“I’m happy that we’re making those strides, but at the same time, I know there are so many other women who came before me,” said Elias Danjuma.
The tournament rules are strict – their act can only be 10 minutes and the performers can’t look at or touch one another. There are thousands of spectators and hundreds of other competitors.
“There is beauty in telling stories of our people, but also telling our own stories and being able to celebrate Black joy,” said Mwassa.
The two admit their choice was a unique one and admit taking a chance. Mwassa says you have to dare to be bold.
“To truly just be ourselves and tell a story that’s a little bit outlandish and had some things that were like, oh my gosh, they can do that,” she said laughing.
The two recent graduates also left a mark at their former high school. Their achievement makes the school the only one this year to win a national championship in a state known for its speech and debate success.
Their coach, Traci Bowermaster, was all but certain they would come out on top.
“I almost fainted I was so excited for that moment,” said Bowermaster. “Their passion, their drive, how much they want to give a voice to others and they just have it all.”
The win earned both girls $1,000 college scholarships. Mwassa is attending George Mason University in Virginia and Elias Danjuma will attend Temple University in Pennsylvania.
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Gymnastics fans came from across America to watch the trials in person and see the best athletes in the country.
MINNEAPOLIS — After a fun week of gymnastics excitement, the Olympic trials are wrapping up in Minneapolis.
The city hosted thousands of gymnastics fans from across the country this week.
Sunday night the Incline Gymnastics team from Highlands Ranch Colorado waited in line nearly two hours to watch night two of the women’s trials.
“This will be our fourth night coming here and waiting in line,” a teammate says.
The trials are a ticketed event with assigned seating, so the only benefit of waiting in line for so long is to get into the Target Center a few minutes earlier than everyone else.
“We just want to be there for a few extra minutes so we can watch warmups and be around the athletes for longer,” another teammate laughs.
Two gates down from them Beth Lillstrom had the same idea.
“We’re here to see warmups every night and then we have been in our seats until they kick us out. So, we’ve been those people,” Lillstrom laughs.
Lillstrom is also from Colorado.
She started competing in gymnastics in 1985 at the age of eight.
“I competed all the way through high school, and I’ve been a fan ever since,” Lillstrom says.
She may never get a chance to see the Olympics in person, but she says the Olympic trials are the next best thing.
“I’ve been getting lots of very thoughtful, kind offers on Instagram to go to Paris and these amazing hospitality options that I cannot afford, but I can come to Minneapolis and see this for four days,” Lilltsrom laughs.
Loretta Wickins and her daughter Macy traveled all the way from Missouri.
“We’re from a tiny town called Koshkonong Missouri,” Wickins says.
“So, coming to Minneapolis is a big city for us, but it’s been fun.”
Wickins says this is her 2nd time watching a world class team trial in person.
She traveled to watch the Gymnastics World Championship trials in 1999.
“It was fun back then, but they really make it fun now. I think USA Gymnastics has done a good job trying to make it more fun and more of a spectator sport,” Wickins says.
USA Gymnastics says the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis was their biggest event ever.
It was the first time the organization has held their four main events all at the same time, in the same city.
Besides the Olympic trials the organization also hosted their annual trade show and several competitions at the Minneapolis Convention Center this week.
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Troopers said two people died when an SUV struck a car, but the car’s driver took off from the scene.
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota State Patrol is searching for one of the drivers involved in a fatal collision on Saturday afternoon in Eagan.
Troopers said the driver of a Lincoln MKX ran a red light at the intersection of Highway 55 and Lexington Avenue, hitting the passenger’s side of a Volkswagen Jetta. Two passengers in the Jetta were killed; however, troopers say the driver of the Jetta fled the scene before law enforcement arrived and has not been located.
The names of the deceased have not been released. The driver of the Lincoln, a 41-year-old woman from Eagan, was not injured according to the Minnesota State Patrol’s initial accident report.
MORE NEWS: Worker finds body in Maple Grove on Saturday
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Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Authorities said the man had taken his grandchildren fishing and swimming Saturday when he drowned.
MIKANA, Wis. — Authorities in western Wisconsin said a 71-year-old grandfather died in an apparent drowning after saving one of his grandchildren from the water on Saturday.
According to a social media post by the Barron Co. Sheriff’s Office, the man had taken his two grandchildren fishing and swimming just below the Mikana Dam when one of the children started to struggle.
“Grandpa went in to help the kids, got them to where they could stand again and they made it to shore,” the post read. “For an unknown reason the male went under and drowned.”
First responders were initially unsuccessful in their efforts to find the man, until a dive team later recovered his body.
Authorities said both children were wearing life jackets and were safely out of the water.
The man’s identity has not been released.
MORE NEWS: Worker finds body in Maple Grove on Saturday
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Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
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