CHS Speech places third at state, boasts one state champion and two runners-up
State competitors and coaches from CHS Speech, which finished third in the AAA Division at the state tournament, from left, Top row (grade in parentheses): Maddi Morton (12), Patrick Hansen (12), Kolvin Dade (12). Middle row: Rowan Hartley (11), Madyson Clark (10), Dex Trzaska (12), Via Wheeler (11), Damion Lopez (12), assistant coach Jacob Lukach, Dannielle Hunt and Aaron Drew. Bottom row: Luci Thompson (9), Milena Letic (12), Isabel Durkin (11), Carmen Thomas (12), El Thompson (11), Lilly Demmon (12). Not pictured: assistant coach Andrea Orosz.
Staff report
The Chesterton speech team placed third in the AAA division of the state speech tournament Saturday at Fishers High and had a state champion and two runners-up leading the way.
Senior Carmen Thomas was crowned state champion in Original Oratory and placed third in Broadcasting. Senior Damion Lopez was state runner-up in Broadcasting and placed third in Original Performance. Junior El Thompson placed second to Thomas in Original Oratory.
Although the team competition is broken into divisions based on school size, all individual competitors are in one pool.
Fourteen of Chesterton’s 18 entries at the state tournament advanced to the quarterfinals or beyond.
Senior Kolvin Dade (Discussion), senior Maddi Morton (Programmed Oral Interpretation) and junior Isabel Durkin (United States Extemporaneous) made it to the semifinal round, reserved for the top 12 entries.
Six entries advanced to quarterfinals (top 24): Durkin (Declamation), Morton (Prose), senior Lilly Demmon (Humor and Programmed Oral Interpretation), Madyson Clark (Drama) and Patrick Hansen (Impromptu).