Chesterton Tribune

 

 

CHS Speech and Debate team hosts annual Skeffington Memorial Invite

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The Chesterton High School Speech and Debate team hosted its annual “Skeffington Memorial” Speech Invitational last weekend. Ten schools, bringing 250 individual entries, attended the tournament.

The CHS speakers had a very competitive showing, winning 7 of the 14 events offered. The top six speakers in each event were recognized at the awards ceremony.

Leading the team was junior Alan Stirling who, for the second weekend in a row, won both dramatic interpretation and programmed oral interpretation (POI). Stirling was the only CHS varsity champion of the day. However, 5 of the team's 7 tournament champions were in the novice division, making the Chesterton novices the real stars of the weekend.

Novice tournament champions included freshman Alora Dustin, in international extemporaneous speaking, freshman Celia Faroh, in informative speaking, and juniors George Tracy and Nathan Mullin, in original performance.

Taking top honors in the novice division were freshman Heidi Boltze, in humorous interpretation, and junior Sadie Kidd, in programmed oral interpretation (POI).

The Chesterton team had an outstanding day, due in large part to the number of tournament champions being mirrored by the exact same number of tournament runner-ups. Taking second place in varsity original performance was junior Max Winski. Other runners-up included junior Owen Cowsert, in varsity broadcasting, the freshman team of Ellery Brunt and Liz Hibshman, in novice duo interpretation, sophomore Mattea Sklut, in novice broadcasting, and freshman, Natalie Nu–ez in novice poetry reading.

Taking second place and following Tracy and Mullin in novice original performance was senior Gabi Castro. Following Faroh in novice informative speaking was freshman Kaitlyn Papka, in second.

The team also demonstrated some depth in a number of other novice events. Following the runner up, Nu–ez, was freshman Dylan Leavitt, placing third in novice poetry reading. In novice broadcasting, Sklut was followed by freshman Jackson Syren, junior Alexis Tarnow, and freshman Connor Potesta, placing third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Finishing behind Castro in novice original performance was sophomore Lucy Novreske in fifth place.

Other varsity members to qualify for the final round of competition and place among the top six was junior Anekah Fish, placing third in varsity prose reading. The junior team of Indigo Loving and Max Winski were fifth in varsity duo interpretation. Loving also placed third in varsity humorous interpretation. Sophomore Anna Sanders was fourth in varsity original oratory, and finishing behind Stirling in varsity dramatic interpretation was sophomore Lily Roberts, in sixth place.

“The team did extremely well today. Overall we had 24 finalists and 14 of those 24 finished in either first or second place. It is still very early in the season, but with results like this, the team is certainly on its way toward a great year,” said Coach Kathy Hadley.

As the host school, CHS did not take a team trophy. First place went to Fishers with 135 points, followed closely by Culver Academies with 131 points. Third place went to Plymouth with 127 points, fourth to Munster with 98 points, and fifth to Valparaiso with 69 points.

Scores of parents and former students helped with judging and hospitality. Coaches Eric Schaefer and Dakota McCoy gave a special thanks to Claire Muller for her amazing work in organizing the parents’ hospitality and concession committees.

The team will be split next weekend, with the bulk of CHS speakers competing locally at Bishop Noll while a few select varsity members head off to The Glenbrooks National Circuit Tournament, in Chicago.

 

 

Posted 11/16/2018

 
 
 
 

 

 

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