The speech team finished fifth at the Culver Academies Speech Invitational this past weekend. Thirteen schools and nearly 400 entries competed in the combined varsity/novice tournament. This was the first tournament of the season for the varsity team.

The tournament's lone champion was junior Mikaela Meyer, who took top honors in varsity broadcasting. Meyer also finished sixth in varsity original oratory.

Senior Jennifer Kattalia was second in oratory, followed by junior Layla Mooradian in third. Mooradian also placed third in declamation.

Varsity humor also did well with junior Jami Ritchea taking third, followed by sophomore Lauren Hogan in sixth, and senior Kaylee Oates in seventh. Oates and her partner senior Sharon Colemen placed fifth in memorized duo, while the team of Jake Williger (10) and Liz Green (11) finished in fourth.

In addition, senior Spencer Gordon placed sixth in impromptu and eighth in international extemporaneous speaking. Junior Andrew Caratini also placed in two events, seventh in international extemporaneous and eighth in broadcasting.

Also at the varsity level was senior Aliyah Caraballo, seventh in prose; junior Kasey O'Keefe, fourth in drama; and senior Rachel Kidder, fifth in drama.

Junior Caleb Hoffman was the only novice to place at the tournament, earning eighth in broadcasting.

"This was a very competitive tournament, and while we would like to have placed better as a team, we had some excellent individual results,” said coach Doug Pishkur.

Munster High School was the tournament champion, followed by Warren Central in second and Plymouth High School in third. Culver finished in fourth and Chesterton in fifth.

Coaches Doug Pishkur, Kirsten Reed and Eric Schaefer accompanied the team. Parents Alice and Jim Meyer, Rick Kidder, and Marcia Ritchea, along with staff member Josh Smock, also helped with judging. The team's next tournament will be this Saturday in LaPorte.

Posted 11/13/2012