The CHS speech team attended the Concord speech invitational, appropriately called the “Concord Winter Blast,” last Saturday. Friday’s winter storm resulted in numerous cancellations and the tournament’s attendance was cut in half with only six schools competing. Chesterton won the all varsity tournament and had seven tournament champions.

Senior Andrew Hogan led the team, winning both drama and prose and getting first place in all but one of his ten rounds. Hogan was also presented the team trophy to recognize his performance and leadership.

Fellow senior Cassidy Peretin also had an excellent day, winning U.S. extemporaneous speaking and placing second in original oratory.

Other tournament champions included sophomores Mikaela Meyer in declamation and Sarah Parker in original performance. Meyer also placed fourth in oratory, and Parker and her partner, sophomore Jami Ritchea, took second place in memorized duo. Ritchea also placed fifth in humor.

Junior Maddie Mottinger won poetry, and the scripted duo team of junior Rachel Kidder and freshman Lauren Hogan took top honors. Hogan also placed fourth in humor and Kidder was second in original performance.

Several other team members placed in two events. Junior Jennifer Kattalia was second in drama and third in oratory, and junior Danny Vincent placed third in original performance and fifth in prose. In addition, sophomore Andrew Caratini was second in international extemporaneous speaking and fourth in impromptu.

Others placing in their respective events were freshmen Robert St. Pierre, second in radio and Matt Murfitt, third in U.S. extemporaneous. Also, sophomore Anmol Patel was second in poetry and teammate Jacob Reed (10) was sixth in radio.

“We started the morning with six students dropping because of the weather, but the remaining fifteen did a great job. We’re really proud of the fact that all fifteen of them placed at the tournament,” said coach Bob Kelly.

Coaches Kelly and Doug Pishkur were joined by former student Jessica Cleary. In addition four parents, James and Alice Meyer, along with Krystina Wilcyznski and Becky Hogan, braved the weather to help with judging. The team’s next tournament will be February 4 in Plymouth.