The speech team attended a five team novice/varsity tournament at the Culver Academies this past weekend. The Winter Speech Invitational, the second hosted by Culver this season, had only five schools in attendance but because of the size of some of the entries included nearly 200 students. Chesterton placed fourth at the tournament, which was won by tournament host Culver.

CHS senior Kiera Quealy was the team’s only tournament champion, winning original performance. The team had several second place finishes with senior Kaylee Oates in both varsity humor and memorized duo, along with her partner senior Sharon Coleman. At the novice level freshman Ellyn Winski was second in prose and freshman Eric Richardson was second in broadcasting, Winski also finished fifth in novice poetry as did Richardson in novice impromptu. Freshman Jordan Sweet also took second place in novice discussion.

Others placing at the varsity level were senior Jennifer Kattalia, who was third in original oratory and fourth in drama; junior Jami Ritchea, who was fourth in humor; Nate Dickinson and Sam Gordon, who were third and sixth, respectively, in broadcasting; sophomore Kasey O’Keefe, eighth in drama, and the scripted duo team of senior Rachel Kidder and junior Justyn Lantz, who placed sixth.

Those placing in the novice division included freshman prose contestants Ellie Anton and Chyanne Holth, sixth and seventh; Justyn Lantz, sixth in poetry; and freshman James O’Dor, third in impromptu.

In second place behind Culver was Plymouth High School and in third place was Noblesville. CHS was fourth and Maconaquah was fifth. The team’s next tournament will be this weekend at Munster.

Coaches Bob Kelly and Eric Schaefer shared judging duties with former students Jessica Cleary and Jack Deuberry, and parents Carol Kattalia, Marcia Ritchea, Becky Hogan and Troy Lantz.

2/5/2013