District 214 Students Excel at Regional Speech Tournament

            Township High School District 214’s participation in three IHSA Regional Speech Tournaments this past weekend resulted in students from all six high schools advancing to the IHSA sectional competition on Saturday, Feb. 15. Prospect, Buffalo Grove, John Hersey, and Wheeling high school students competed at the regional tournament hosted by Prospect High School. Elk Grove High School students competed at the Fenton High School Regional Tournament, and Rolling Meadows High School students competed at the Fremd High School Regional Tournament. Saturday’s upcoming sectional tournament will be hosted by Elk Grove High School.

            At the Prospect Regional Tournament, Prospect High School was named both Regional Individual Events Team Champions and Regional Performance in the Round Champions. Buffalo Grove High School took 3rd Place in the Team event and was the Performance in the Round Runner-up.

            The following students also won individual awards:

            PHS senior Josh Arshonsky and sophomore Kit Fitzgerald - Dramatic Duet Acting Champions; BGHS juniors Alexa Ott and Rashell Ott - Dramatic Duet Acting Runner-up; PHS freshman Jimmy McDermott - Dramatic Interpretation Champion; BGHS junior Georgett Voss - Dramatic Interpretation 2nd ; WHS senior Ronald Roth - Dramatic Interpretation 4th; PHS junior Christopher Kivlahan - Extemporaneous Speaking Champion, senior Josh Arshonsky and junior James Farquharson - Humorous Duet Acting Champions, senior Jennifer Ruda - Humorous Interpretation Runner-up; and BGHS junior Nijole Laverd - Humorous Interpretation 4th; PHS junior Emily McNally - Impromptu Speaking Runner-up, and BGHS senior Ani Biswas - Impromptu Speaking 4th; PHS junior Cladia Lowe - Informative Speaking Champion; PHS freshman Jimmy McDermott - Oratorical Declamation 3rd, and JHHS senior Kaitlyn Ries - Oratorical Declamation 4th; BGHS senior Ani Biswas - Original Comedy Champion; PHS sophomore Andrew Pittman - Original Comedy Runner-up; PHS junior Allison O’Connor - Original Oratory Runner-up; BGHS junior Donna Safa - Poetry Reading Runner-up, PHS senior Hannah Rose - 4th Poetry Reading; PHS junior James Farquharson - Prose Reading Champion; JHHS junior Dan Niersbach - Radio Speaking Champion; PHS junior Allison O’Connor - Radio Speaking 3rd , and BGHS junior Matt Shapiro - Radio Speaking 4th; PHS senior Leanne Gadow - Special Occasion Speaking Champion and BGHS senior Diana Ramirez

- Special Occasion Speaking Runner-up.

            At the Fremd High School Regional Competition, Rolling Meadows High School took 4th place honors overall. Individual awards were given to RMHS senior Michael Vu - Extemporaneous Speaking Champion and Impromptu Speaking 3rd; sophomore Katherine Rohde - Original Oratory Champion and Prose Reading Runner-up; and junior Ben Schreiber - Radio Speaking 3rd.

            At the Fenton High School Regional Competition, the Elk Grove High School team placed 4th overall and was Performance in the Round Runner-up. Individual awards were presented to EGHS freshman Megan Manoj - Extemporaneous Speaking 3rd; junior Alex Diez and senior Arman Rahman - Humorous Duet Acting 4th; senior Ian Michalec - Impromptu Champion; junior Mike Victuelles - Informative Speaking 4th; senior Katie Kozak - Oratorical Declamation 3rd; junior Natalie Brown - Original Comedy Runner-up and Radio Speaking 3rd ; freshman Emily Franke - Prose Reading- 4th; and sophomore Kathryn Riopel - Special Occasion Speaking 4th.