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Speech Team

Head coach: Mark Donaway
School phone: 708-755-7565 x1780
Assistants:


 

Current News

   For the second straight year, Marian Catholic brought home an IHSA state championship from the Individual Events state tournament, as its Performance in the Round edged out Oak Lawn and Belleville West for tops in Illinois.

   Feb. 9: Marian Catholic High School’s Speech team advanced two entries to this weekend’s IHSA state meet at Neuqua Valley High School, represented by freshman Joseph Wlos in Extemporaneous Speaking and Marian’s Performance in the Round.

   The Performance in the Round entry, Lovers by Brian Friel, earned a second-place in the Oak Lawn Sectional Tournament. The group includes seniors Jim Slawnikowski, Mike Friar and Mike Losos, juniors Julie Zielinski, Mary Jones and Paul Obbagy, and sophomores Ali Schwieger, Jaime Patriarca, Jonathan Williamsen, Kate Bryzgalski, Sam Kirschenheiter and Tony Vaughn.

   Wlos earned a third place at the Oak Lawn Sectional to garner his state bid.

  In competition earlier at the Homewood-Flossmoor Regional, Marian’s Performance in the Round captured second place, while first-place finishes came from Chris Skurka in Humorous Interpretation and Prose Reading, and Kiayla Jackson in Original Comedy.

  Following an 11th place finish at the IHSA State competition, Marian Catholic’s Forensics Team continued on a roll Feb. 25 at the Stagg High School competition when it raised its number of qualifiers for the Catholic Forensics Grand Nationals to a record-breaking 16.

  Along with qualifying 16 entries for the Grand Nationals in Chicago during the Memorial Day Weekend, Marian completed its Chicago Catholic Forensics League season with an undefeated record.

  Qualifiers for Grand Nationals includes (with CCFL placement):

Dramatic Performance: Nick Wilson (first); Chris Skurka (third).

Duo Interpretation: Vanessa Brignol-J.P. Brignol (first); Craig Dettmann-Alex Stoterau (second); Matt and Lauren Nix (third).

Oral Interpretation: Alyssa Humbles (third); Lauren Eldridge (fifth).

Oratorical Declamation: Courtney Cunningham (second); Chris Bozetti (sixth).

Original Oratory: Louise Packard (fourth).

  Other Marian performers ranking as alternates for Grand Nationals include Paul Obaggy and Vanessa Brignol in Oratorical Declamation, Shamika Ross in Dramatic Performance and Samantha Padula and Samantha Thompson in Original Oratory.

  The 16 qualifiers represents five more Marian students than in 2005 and is just five short of the maximum any individual school can send to Grand Nationals.

  Behind five individual champions and a second-place finish in Performance in the Round, Marian Catholic scored 56 points to win the Thornwood IHSA Regional championship on Saturday. The PIR and 11 individual entries will advance to this Saturday’s Marian Catholic Sectional competition.

  Andrew Schramm earned two regional titles Saturday, doing so in Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking. Meanwhile, Marian also got regional crowns from Vanessa Brignol (Oratorical Declamation), Samantha Padula (Original Oration) and Jean-Phillip Brignol (Special Occasion Speaking).

  Along with the PIR, Marian got second-place finishes from Michelle Pritchett (Radio Speaking) and Lauren Eldridge (Verse Reading). Matthew Nix captured a third place in a Humorous Interpretation and Vanessa and J.P. Brignol teamed up for a third place in Humorous Duet Acting.

  Marian’s other sectional qualifiers were fourth-place finishers Craig Dettman and Alex Stoterau (Dramatic Duet Acting) and Nick Wilson (Dramatic Interpretation).

  Marian scored 56 points as a team to finish ahead of runner-up Thornton (49), Thornridge (47), Homewood-Flossmoor (45) and Thornwood (44).

  Approximately 30 schools will be represented Saturday at Marian, with the top three finishers in each event advancing to the IHSA State competition on Feb. 17-18 at Oak Lawn High School.

   Despite splitting its squad in half on Jan. 14, the Marian Catholic Forensics team used seven first-place finishes to win the 13-school Stagg Invitational, while also earning a sixth-place finish at the 17-school Thornwood Invitational.

  At Stagg, where Marian scored 199 points to outdistance runner-up Stagg (183), Marian got first-place finishes from Alex Stoterau and Craig Dettmann in Dramatic Duet Acting, Nick Wilson in Dramatic Interpretation, Michael Whittaker in Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking, Chris Skurka in Humorous Intepretation, Samantha Padula in Original Oratory and Lauren Eldridge in Special Occasion Speaking.

  Marian also earned third-place points from Courtney Cooper (Oratorical Declamation), Skurka (Original Comedy) and Eldridge (Verse Reading), while Melissa Harmon (Humorous Interpretation) and Natalia Valedon (Verse Reading) earned fifth-place points. Sixth-place points came from Paul Obbagy (Oratorical Declamation) and Meghan Owen (Original Oratory), and Marian also gained finalists in Anna Swacker (Dramatic Interpretation) and Sam Sullivan (Original Comedy).

  The effort at Thornwood was paced by first-place finishers Catherine Mitros in Extemporaneous Speaking, J.P and Vanessa Brignol in Humorous Duet Acting, and Matt Nix in Humorous Interpretation. Andrew Schramm earned a second in Extemporaneous Speaking and a fourth in Impromptu Speaking.

  Louise Packard captured a fourth in Original Oration and J.P. Brignol was fourth in Special Occasion Speaking. Marian also garnered sixth-place points from Mike Carlson and Courtney Cunningham (Dramatic Duet Acting) and Zinika Livingston (Dramatic Interpretation).

   Competing against many of the top IHSA teams in the state, Marian Forensics scored 288 points Saturday to capture seventh place in the prestigious Glenbard West Invitational.

   Marian was led by a second-place finish from Andrew Schramm in Extemporaneous Speaking and a sixth-place from Matthew Nix in Humorous Interpretation. Nix also qualified for the finals in Original Comedy, as did J.P. and Vanessa Brignol in Humorous Duet Acting.

   Several other Marian entries just missed qualifying for the finals, including Courtney Cunningham and Mike Carlson in Dramatic Duet Acting, Chris Skurka in Humorous Interpretation, Schramm in Impromptu Speaking, Natalia Valedon in Verse Reading and Michael Whittaker in Impromptu Speaking.

  The Marian Catholic Forensics team posted its highest IHSA finish in history Saturday with a 2nd place in the Sandburg-Oak Lawn Tournament. Led by a first-place from Matt Nix in Humorous Interpretation, Marian scored 356 points to finish behind only Thornton (367). Downers Grove South (348) was third, followed by Shepard (317) and Neuqua Valley (306).
  Marian got a second-place finish from Michael Whittaker (Extemporaneous Speaking) and third places from Craig Dettmann and Alex Stoterau (Dramatic Duet Acting), Jean-Phillip and Vanessa Brignol (Humorous Duet Acting) and Michelle Pritchett (Radio Speaking).
  Other important points came from Laura Eldridge (fourth, Verse Reading), Mike Carlson and Courtney Cunningham (fifth, Dramatic Duet Acting), Chris Skurka (fifth, Humorous Interpretation), Samantha Padula (Original Oration) and Anna Swacker (finalist, Dramatic Interpretation).
  Preliminary round highlights included at least three No. 1 ranks from judges for Skurka, Pritchett, the Brignols and Nix (No. 1 from all six judges).

  NIck Wilson and Michael Whittaker earned first-place finishes Saturday to lead Marian Catholic to a first-place team finish in the Chicago Catholic Forensics League Qualifier at Loyola Academy. Marian scored 154 points to top runner-up Stagg (105). Marist, Fenwick, Loyola and St. Ignatius rounded out the top six.

  Wilson earned his Final Round first place in Dramatic Performance, while Marian’s Shamika Ross was second in the event. Whittaker captured first in Extemporaneous Speaking, while Andrew Schramm took second and Catherine Mitros was fifth. Courtney Cooper added a second place in Oratorical Declamation, while Chris Bozzetti was fifth.

  In Duo Interpretation, Marian’s J.P. and Vanessa Brignol were second, Alex Stoterau and Craig Dettmann notched third and Matt and Lauren Nix were sixth.

  Marian earned straight first place finishes in preliminaries from Wilson, the Brignols, the Nix’, Whittaker and Cooper. Other performers earning at least one preliminary first place included Ross, Chris Skurka (Dramatic Performance), Stoterau and Dettmann, Mitros, Schramm, Alyssa Humbles (Oral Interpretation), Josh Jackson (Oral Interpretation) and Bozzetti.

*****

  Another Marian squad traveled to Thornridge on Saturday, earning a sixth place finish behind finalists Courtney Cunningham and Mike Carlson (fifth, Dramatic Duet Acting), Anna Swacker and Anna Cergioli (fifth, Humorous Duet Acting) and Swacker in Dramatic Interpretation.

  Marian Catholic used first-place performances from Michael Whittaker (Extemporaneous Speaking) and Matt Nix (Humorous Interpretation) en route to 342 team points and fourth place in the IHSA Thornton Turkey Tourney. The 24-team field included may of the strongest forensics programs in Illinois.
  Marian also got second-place points from Vanessa Brignol (Oratorical Declamation) and Melissa Harmon (Humorous Interpretation), while Michelle Pritchett earned a fourth place in Radio Speaking, and Craig Dettmann and Alex Stoterau a fifth in Dramatic Duet Action. Sixth-place points came from Whittaker in Impromptu Speaking and Nick Wilson earned a seventh in Dramatic Interpretation.
  Several other Marian contestants received at least one first-place in preliminary rounds, including Courtney Cooper and Samantha Thompson (Dramatic Duet Acting), Courtney Cunningham and Michael Carlson (Dramatic Duet Acting), Vanessa and J.P. Brignol (Humorous Duet Acting), Lauren and Matt Nix (Humorous Duet Acting).
  Also, Chris Skurka (Humorous Duet Acting), Anna Ceragioli (Original Comedy), Catherine Mitros (Original Oration) and Lauren Eldridge (Verse Reading).

  Andy Schramm earned a first place in Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking to help lead Marian Catholic to a sixth-place finish Nov. 5 in the 21-school Downers Grove North Tournament. Marian scored 325 points to finish only behind state powers Wheaton North (410), Thornton (378), Glenbard West (355), Naperville Central (340) and Downers Grove South (325).

  On the Varsity level, Marian's Michelle Pritchett captured second place in Radio Speaking, Vanessa Brignol was fourth in Oratorical Declamation, Mike Whittaker earned fifth in Extemporaneous Speaking and Pritchett was sixth in Special Occasion Speaking.

  The Novice team from Marian also generated points, including first place in Verse from Josh Jackson and first place in Dramatic Duet Acting from Mike Carlson and Courtney Cunningham.

  Marian also earned third-place finishes from Natalia Valedon (Verse Reading) and Greg Rossbach (Humorous Interpretation); a fourth-place from Anna Swacker (Dramatic Interpretation); fifth-places by Sam Sullivan (Original Comedy) and Valedon (Prose Reading); and a seventh-place from Anna Anderson (Radio Speaking).

  On Nov. 12, Marian will host the first Varsity Qualifier for the Chicago Catholic Forensics League.

  Sam Sullivan earned a first place in Original Comedy and Anna Swacker first in Dramatic Interpretation, while several newcomers performed well to lead Marian Catholic to a second-place finish Saturday at the Homewood-Flossmoor Junior Varsity Forensics Tournament.
  Marian (184 points) was edged out only by Thornton (192). Wheaton North earned third place with 173 points, followed by Naperville Central (169) and Glenbard West (168).
  Marian got scoring in a number of events, including Dramatic Duet Acting— Ashley Reed and Morgan Jefferson (third); Taylor and Shannon Washington (fourth). Dramatic Interpretation— Mike Carlson (sixth). Extemporaneous Speaking— J. Clarke (fifth); Patrick Kirschenhieiter (fifth); Kyle Holmes (sixth).
  Humorous Duet Acting— Ellen Maro and Justin Schultz (third); Taylor Newhuis and Lanie Young (sixth). Humorous Interpretation— Chris Skurka (third); Sam Sullivan (third); Greg Rossbach (sixth). Impromptu Speaking— Skurka (second); Cameron Williams (third). Original Declamation— Paul Obbagy (third).
  Original Comedy— Anna Ceragioli (sixth); Mike Knuth (sixth). Original Oratory— Ceragioli (third); Meghan Owen (fifth). Special Occasion Speaking— Lauren Nix (sixth). Verse Reading— Natalia Valedon (second); Kelly Butler (fourth).

Marian Forensics excels at nationals in Milwaukee

   You seldom hear that anything about Marian Catholic High School is "all talk."
   However, the Marian Forensics Team is talking and speaking its way to national heights.
   Marian recently sent 17 students to the National Catholic Forensics League Tournament in Milwaukee, with five advancing to the "octo-levels," or likely top 24 in the nation.
   With his performance, "Olive Juice," senior Alex Kuehr advanced to the quarterfinals and matched with duo partner junior Nick Wilson to advance to the quarterfinals as well. Quarterfinalists could rank as high as 13^th in the nation.
   Overall, Marian competitors earned at least one first-place from a national judge in 27 rounds.
   The national event, which included 394 private school qualifiers from throughout the nation, featured 291 students in each event.
   Other octo-finalists for Marian were senior Amy Dettmann with "Horton Hears a Who" in Dramatic Performance, sophomore Mike Whittaker in Extemporaneous Speaking and junior Jean-Phillip Brignol with "King" in Poetry.
   "Last year we had a duo in the quarterfinals and we accomplished the same high success this year," Coach Tom Sweeney said. "I saw the octo-finals of our duo team of Kuehr and Wilson, where they received a 1, 1, 3 (judge marks) in a fiercely competitive round on Sunday morning. They were awesome and I was so proud of their making it to the quarterfinals.
   "Our 17 students broke all Marian Catholic records this year with an undefeated JV and Varsity team with so many first places in division rounds."
   Additional students in Marian's record-qualifying 17 entries to the nationals included the following:
   Vanessa Brignol, Oratorical Declamation; Courtney Cunningham, Oratorical Declamation; Lauren Eldridge, Oral Interpretation; Melissa Harmon, Oratorical Declamation; Catherine Mitros, Oral Interpretation; Matt Nix, Dramatic Interpretation; Louise Packard, Original Oratory; Nicole and Sam Padula, Duo Interpretation; Michelle Pritchett, Original Oration; Andy Schramm, Extemporaneous Speaking; and Elaine Wilson, Extemporaneous Speaking.
   "Congratulations to Amy Dettmann, J.P. Brignol, Mike Whittaker for placing in the top 15 percent in the nation," Sweeney praised. "For all our students, their college resumes will be sweeter and their personal memories great. Marian Catholic is fertile ground for solid achievement in Interscholastic forensic competition. We have great kids who are excelling fast!"

Marian, Wilson excel in Tournament of Champions at ISU

   One of 40 schools to earn special invitations to Illinois State University last weekend, the Marian Catholic Forensics Team earned a team plaque, one individual scholarship and several special honors and accolades at the Tournament of Champions.
   Senior Elaine Wilson placed in the top four for Extemporaneous Speaking and Special Occasion Speaking, also earning a $100 scholarship to be applied to the Speech Camp of her choice. Wilson will make her final Marian Forensics appearance at the Grand National competition of the National Forensics League at Milwaukee in May.
   Marian was acknowledged in several other events as well, including Courtney Cooper and Samantha Thompson in Dramatic Duet Acting, Matt Nix in Humorous Interpretation, Andy Schramm in Impromptu Speaking, Catherine Mitros for Prose, Louise Packard in Original Oratory and Lauren Aldridge for Verse Reading.
   In special events for this Tournament, Schramm and Nix were honored for Improvisational Duet Acting and Courtney Cunningham for Wretched Interpretation. Kirsten Bowns, Mike Whittaker and Eamon Driscoll also earned team points for Marian.

Marian Performance in the Round 2nd in IHSA State

   Marian Catholic´s Performance in the Round cast captured second place at the IHSA Speech State Tournament on Feb. 18-19 at Carbondale High School.
   The Marian entry actually rated a tie for first place in state, with the stalemate broken by judges´ decision.
   The Performance-in-the-Round cast impressed with its entry, "Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters' First 100 Years." The cast includes Samantha Thompson, Shamika Ross, Morgan Williams, Stephanie Erazo, Cameron Williams, Coco Thomas, Amber Hill, Josh Jackson, Sam Sullivan, Tim Blewitt, Vanessa Brignol and Jonathan Ellis.
   Marian finished second to south suburban rival Thornridge, while the top five in the state was rounded out by Oak Lawn, Wheaton North and Downers Grove South. Other state qualifiers for Marian included: Michelle Pritchett in Radio Speaking, Elaine Wilson in Special Occasion Speaking and Alex Stoterau and Craig Dettmann in Humorous Duet Acting.

Marian qualifies four events for IHSA state tournament

   Led by a pair of second place finishes on Feb. 12 at the Oak Lawn Sectional, the Marian Catholic Forensics team qualified four entries for the IHSA State Tournament on Feb. 18-19 at Carbondale High School.
   Michelle Pritchett earned a second place in Radio Speaking, while the talented Performance in the Round group also captured a second place with their theme: "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters´ First 100 Years."
   Marian also gained state qualifiers with a pair of third-place finishers, including Elaine Wilson in Special Occasion Speaking with "I love to go A´Wandering" and Alex Stoterau and Craig Dettmann in Humorous Duet Acting with "Some things you need to know before the World ends."

Marian qualifies 10 events for IHSA Sectional

   Led by three individual first-place winners and the Performance-in-the-Round cast, Marian Catholic's Forensics team advanced 10 entries to the IHSA Sectionals at Oak Lawn High School on Feb. 12.
   Marian placed third overall as a team in the Thornton Regional, as every entry advanced to the final rounds. However, only the top four in each category advance to Sectional competition.
   The Performance-in-the-Round cast placed first with its entry, "Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters' First 100 Years." The cast includes Samantha Thompson, Shamika Ross, Morgan Williams, Stephanie Erazo, Cameron Williams, Coco Thomas, Amber Hill, Josh Jackson, Sam Sullivan, Tim Blewitt, Vanessa Brignol and Jonathan Ellis.
   Individual first-place entries included Alex Kuehr and Nick Wilson (Dramatic Duet Acting), Michelle Pritchett (Radio Speaking) and Elaine Wilson (Special Occasion Speaking). Second-place Sectional qualifiers included Andy Schramm (Impromptu Speaking) and Jean-Phillip Brignol (Oratorical Declamation).
   Other Marian Sectional qualifiers were Alex Stoterau and Craig Dettmann (third, Humorous Duet Acting), Matthew Nix (third, Humurous Interpretation), Jean-Phillip Brignol (third, Prose Reading) and Elaine Wilson (fourth, Extemporaneous Speaking).
   Other Marian competitors reaching the final rounds were Catherine Mitros in Oratorical Declamation, Nix in Original Comedy, Louise Packard in Original Oration and Lauren Eldridge in Verse Reading..

Marian excels at own invitational

   Marian Catholic had 13 entries place in the top three, including first-place finishers Mike Whittaker and Amy Dettmann, at the Marian Catholic Tournament (co-hosted by Marist) on Saturday, Jan. 22, as schools battled snowy conditions to arrive and perform well.
   Reavis captured the team title, as host schools may not count team points in public school competition. Marian would have garnered enough points to earn first place, but settled for some outstanding individual honors.
   Whittaker took first in Extemporaneous Speaking and Dettmann did the same in Humorous Interpretation. Marian earned seven second-place finishes, including Elaine Wilson (Extemporaneous Speaking and Special Occasion Speaking), Michelle Pritchett (Oratory and Radio Speaking), Melissa Harmon (Oratorical Declamation), Jean-Phillip Brignol (Prose Reading) and Alex Stoterau and Craig Dettman (Humorous Duet Acting).
   Third-place finishes came from Matt Nix (Original Comedy), Andy Schramm (Extemporaneous Speaking), Catherine Mitros (Prose Reading) and Alex Kuehr and Nick Wilson (Dramatic Duet Acting).
   Other top Marian performances included: Alyssa Humbles (fourth, Verse), Louise Packard (fourth, Oratory), Whittaker (fourth, Impromptu), Kuehr (fifth, Dramatic Interpretation), Samantha Padula (fifth, Impromptu) and Zinika Livingston-Courtney Cunningham (fifth, Dramatic Duet).

Marian captures second at Stagg IHSA event

   Behind five first-place individual performances, Marian Catholic Forensics notched its best IHSA finish with a second place on Saturday at the Stagg Challenger IHSA meet. Thornton earned first place in the meet with 217 points, followed by Marian (208), Reavis, Waubonsie Valley, TF South and Lincoln-Way East.
   Marian was led by first-place finishers Amy Dettmann (Humorous Interpretation), Michelle Pritchett (Radio Speaking), Elaine Wilson (Extemporaneous Speaking), Alex Stoterau/Craig Dettmann (Humorous Duet Acting) and Alex Kuehr/Nick Wilson (Dramatic Duet Acting). Lauren Eldridge earned a second in Verse Reading and Jean-Phillip Brignol was third in Prose Reading.
   Fifth-place finishers for Marian included Stephanie Erazo (Special Occasion Speaking) and Alyssa Humbles (Verse Reading), while other finalists were Matt Nix (Original Comedy), Samantha Padula (Impromptu Speaking), Barry Draper (Original Oration) and Kuehr (Dramatic Interpretation).
   Marian Catholic and Marist will co-host an IHSA Tournament this Saturday, Jan. 22 at Marian.

Marian first at Stagg, qualifies 16 for Grand Nationals

   Marian Catholic kept its record perfect in the Chicago Catholic Forensics League by winning the Stagg High School competition on Sunday, while qualifying 16 students (in 15 events) for the Grand Nationals over Memorial Day weekend in Milwaukee.
   Marian set a record (16 of a possible maximum of 18) for sending students to Grand Nationals from a Chicago Catholic Forensics League school for the second straight year. As a team, Marian totaled 154 points to outscore runner-up Marist (131), Fenwick (100), Stagg (87) and St. Ignatius (53).
   The Stagg competition effort was led by first-place finishers Matt Nix (Dramatic Performance), Andy Schramm (Extemporaneous Speaking), Lauren Eldridge (Oral Interpretation) and Melissa Harmon (Oratorical Declamation). Second-place finishers included Elaine Wilson (Extemporaneous Speaking) and Courtney Cunningham (Oratorical Declamation).
   Marian also gained valuable points from Mike Whittaker (third, Extemporaneous Speaking), Vanessa Brignol (third, Oratorical Declamation), Michelle Pritchett (third, Original Oration), Louise Packard (sixth, Original Oration) and Catherine Mitros (seventh, Oral Interpretation).
   With Mitros as an alternate, all of the above have qualified for nationals, as well as the following through League competiton: Amy Dettmann and Alex Kuehr in Dramatic Performance; Kuehr-Nick Wilson and Samantha and Nicole Padula in Duo Interpretation; Jean-Phillip Brignol in Oral Interpretation.
   Marian also captured first place Sunday in Junior Varsity competition, as Craig Dettmann and Alex Stotereau (Duo Interpretation) and Alyssa Humbles (Oral Interpretation) led the way with first-place finishes.
   Other Marian winners included second-place finishers Anne Anderson and Sandra Hall. Third-place finishers included Elizabeth Tortorello and Barry Draper; fourth-place: Allie Johnson and Belinda Merkelis, Eamon Driscoll, Lauren Martin; fifth place: Josh Jackson; sixth-place: Diamond Jackson.

Marian stays perfect in Catholic League with win at Fenwick

   Sparked by five first-place finishes, Marian Catholic High School's Forensics team remained perfect in Chicago Catholic League competition with a first-place team finish at the Fenwick CCFL Qualifier on Saturday. Marian totaled 154 points to outscore top-five finishers Marist (130), Stagg (100), Fenwick (97) and Loyola (68).
   Marian placed a team member in the finals of every event and was led by first-place finishers Vanessa Brignol (Declamation), Matt Nix (Dramatic Performance), Alex Kuehr-Nick Wilson (Duo Interpretation), Louis Packard (Oratory) and Eamon Driscoll (Frosh-Soph Extemporaneous Speaking).
   Second-place points came from Amy Dettmann (Dramatic Performanc), Lauren Eldridge (Oral Interpretation), Louise Packard (Original Oration) and Elaine Wilson (Extemporaneous Speaking), while third-place finishers included Jean-Phillip Brignol (Oral Interpretation), Courtney Cunningham (Declamation) and Andy Schramm (Extemporaneous Speaking).
   Melissa Harmon (Declamation) and Kuehr (Dramatic Performance) earned fourth-place finishes for Marian, while other winners included Michael Whittaker (fifth, Extemporaneous Speaking), Samantha and Nicole Padula (sixth, Duo Interpretation), Michelle Pritchett (seventh, Original Oratory) and Catherine Mitros (eighth, Oral Interpretation).

Marian captures sixth place at Thornton Tournament

   Marian Catholic High School's Alex Kuehr and Nick Wilson placed first in Dramatic Duet Acting to lead Marian to a sixth-place finish at the 24-school IHSA Forensics Tournament at Thornton High School on Saturday.
   The competition included some of the strongest teams in the state, including top five finishers Wheaton North (354 points), Oak Lawn (344), Glenbard West (343), Downers Grove South (341) and Wheaton-Warrenville South (337). Marian topped all other south suburban schools with a 315 score.
   Jean-Phillip Brignol added a fifth place for Marian in Impromptu Speaking, while Andy Schramm was sixth in Extemporaneous Speaking. Seventh-place finishers for Marian included Lauren Eldridge in Verse Reading, Matt Nix in Original Comedy and Elaine Wilson in Extemporaneous Speaking.
   Other contributors for Marian included Brignol (eighth, Impromptu Speaking), Alyssa Humbles (Verse Reading), Nix (ninth, Humorous Interpretation), Louis Packard (10^th, Original Oration), Michelle Pritchard (10^th, Radio Speaking) and Schramm (10^th, Impromptu Speaking). Each event had between 65 and 100 participants.
   Marian will compete in two tournaments on Dec. 4, a junior varsity meet at Fenwick in the Catholic League and varsity IHSA competition at Thornridge.

Marian wins CCFL Qualifier at Marian, stays perfect

   Marian Catholic scored 158 points to finish in first place and added three individual first-place winners on Saturday in the first Chicago Catholic Forensics League Qualifier at Marian. The 13-school field also included Marist with 122 points, followed by Fenwick (102), Stagg (81) and St. Ignatius (71).
   Marian was led by first-place finishers Alex Kuehr in Dramatic Performance, Jean-Phillip Brignol in Oral Interpretation, and Kuehr and Nick Wilson in Duo Interpretation. Other finalists and second-place winners included Catherine Mitros in Oral Interpretation, Vanessa Brignol in Oratorical Declamation and Amy Dettmann in Dramatic Performance.
   Four of those students also posted perfect scores in their preliminary rounds.
   Depth helped Marian stay perfect on both the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels, behind several third- through sixth-place finishes. Third-place winners included Courtney Cooper and Samantha Thompson (Duo Interpretation), Matt Nix (Dramatic Performance) and Elaine Wilson (Extemporaneous Speaking).
   Marian claimed fifth-place finishes with Melissa Harmon (Oratorical Declamation), Louise Packard (Original Oration) and Nicole and Samantha Padula (Duo Intepretation), while sixth-place winners included Michelle Pritchett (Original Oration) and Andy Schramm (Extemporaneous Speaking).
   The Qualifier was the first step in securing positions for the Catholic Forensics League Grand Nationals scheduled for Memorial Day weekend in Milwaukee. Marian will visit Thornton High School this weekend for the Turkey Tourney that will feature more than 35 schools.

Marian excels on two levels at West Chicago-DGS

   Facing some of the strongest competition in the state, the Marian Catholic High School Forensics team captured third place on the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels on Saturday at the West-Chicago-Downers Grove South Tournament. The strong finish earned a donation to Catholic Charities in Marian's name.
   Marian scored 355 points to finish only behind powerful Wheaton North (402) and Thornton (360). The effort was led by Matt Nix with a first-place finish in Humorous Interpretation, while Mike Whittaker notched a straight first-place rating in preliminaries in Extemporaneous Speaking.
   The Catholic Forensics League Qualifying tournament will move to Marian this weekend with competition on Saturday.
   Other winners for Marian in the third-place varsity effort included Alyssa Humbles (second, Verse Reading), Louise Packard (fourth, Original Oratory), Lauren Eldridge (fourth, Verse Reading), Whittaker (fifth, Extemporaneous Speaking), Nix (fifth, Original Comedy), Samantha and Nicole Padula (sixth, Dramatic Duet Acting) and Michelle Pritchett (Radio Speaking).
   Junior varsity winners included Courtney Cooper and Samantha Thompson (second, Dramatic Duet Acting), Alex Stotereau and Craig Dettmann (Humorous Duet), Zinika Livingston (fourth, Dramatic Interpretation), Vanessa Brignol (fifth, Oratorical Declamation) and Robert Bullard (sixth, Dramatic Interpretation).

Marian JV tops 19 other teams at H-F Contest

   Paced by first-place finishes in six events, Marian Catholic scored 216 points to capture first place Saturday at the Homewood-Flossmoor Junior Varsity contest. Marian placed in 11 of 13 events in the 20-school event. Wheaton North (196 points) was second, followed by Sandburg, Naperville Central and Glenbard West.
   Marian earned first-place finishes in Dramatic Duet Acting (Samantha Thompson, Courtney Cooper), Humorous Duet Acting (Alex Stotereau, Craig Dettmann), Humorous Interpretation (Courtney Cahill), Impromptu Speaking (Andrew Schramm), Oratorical Declamation (Vanessa Brignol) and Original Oration (Kirstin Bowns).
   Marian also had several second- through sixth-place finishes, including second-place finishers Shamika Ross in Dramatic Interpretation, Mike Whittaker in Original Oration and Sandra Hall in Verse Reading. Third place- Eamon Driscoll in Extemporaneous Speaking, Whittaker in Impromptu, Schramm in Special Occasion Speaking, Alyssa Humbles in Verse Reading and Gabrielle Surret in Prose.
   Fourth place- Ashley Elrod (Special Occasion Speaking). Fifth place- Flippe Oria (Humorous Interpretation), Melissa Harmon (Oratorical Declamation), Josh Jackson (Prose). Sixth place- Zanika Livingston, Courtney Cunningham (Dramatic Duet Acting), Allie Johnson, Belinda Merkelis (Humorous Duet Acting), Ashley Reed (Impromptu) and Elizabeth Wilk (Radio Speaking).

JV Speech Team first at Loyola

   Marian Catholic earned five first-place individual finishes to capture first place as a team last weekend in the eight-team Junior Varsity Forensics Invitational at Loyola Academy. Marian scored 160 points to finish ahead of runner-up Marist (123) and Fenwick (114).
   Marian actually had six first-place winners, as Courtney Cooper-Samantha Thompson tied teammates Zinika Livingston-Courtney Cunningham in Duo Interpretation. Courtney Cunningham also took a first in Oral Interpretation, while other first places came from Melissa Harman (Oratorical Declamation), Samika Ross (Dramatic Performance) and Mike Whitaker (Extemporaneous Speaking).
   In Oral Interpretation, all eight Marian entries ranked within the top nine, while all six Marian entries in Duo Interpretation ranked within the top eight. Marian also had several second- through seventh-place finishes.
   Other contributors included: Second place- Vanessa Brignol (Oratorical Declamation), Lauren Eldridge (Oral Interpretation), Matt Nix (Dramatic Performance) and Michelle Pritchett (Original Oratory). Third place- Eamon Driscoll (Extemporaneous Speaking), Alyssa Humbles (Oral Interpretation), Allie Johnson and Belinda Merkelis (Duo Interpretation).
   Fourth place- Lauren Eldridge and Colleen Thomas (Duo Interpretation), Gabrielle Surrett (Oral Interpretation) and Andy Schramm (Extemporaneous Speaking). Fifth place- Kristen Bowns (Original Oratory) and Elizabeth Wilk (Oratorical Declamation). Sixth place- Courtney Cahill and Elizabeth Wilk (Duo Interpretation). Seventh- Sandra Hall (Oral Interpretation).

Marian´s Hickey qualifies for IHSA state meet

   Marian Catholic senior Larry Hickey earned a third-place finish on Feb. 14 at the Morris Sectional in Oratorical Declamation for his performance of "Don´t Ever Give Up" to earn a berth in the IHSA State Tournament on Feb. 20-21 at Naperville Central High School.
   Hickey finished third in his event, only behind Susan Philos of Neuqua Valley and Caitlin Ho of Homewood-Flossmoor.
   As a team, Marian Catholic scored nine total points to earn a 10th-place finish.

Marian Forensics advances seven entries to sectional

   Six Marian Catholic High School individuals and the Performance in the Round entry advanced to the IHSA Morris Sectional on Saturday, Feb. 14 through regional competition last weekend at Thornwood High School.
   Of the 13 events it entered, Marian Catholic advanced 12 to the final rounds. As a team, Marian finished fourth with 35 points behind Thornwood, Thornton and Homewood-Flossmoor.
   Joe Kasper led Marian sectional qualifiers with a first-place in Extemporaneous Speaking. Meanwhile, the Peformance in the Round entry was second behind the efforts of Joe Blewitt, Courtney Cunningham, Amy Dettmann, Allie Johnson, Alex Kuehr, Catherine Mitros, Matt Nix and Andy Schramm. Marian finished second in the state last year in Performance in the Round.
   Other sectional qualifiers included Larry Hickey (second, Oratorical Declamation), Louise Packard (second, Original Oration), Elaine Wilson (third, Special Occasion Speaking), Michelle Pritchett (fourth, Radio Speaking) and Jaime Smith (fourth, Verse Reading)..

Marian sweeps CCFL, qualifies 15 for Nationals in Boston

   Marian Catholic recently completed its most successful weekend in Forensics history with a first place at Stagg High School for a clean sweep in the Chicago Catholic Forensics League (CCFL) season, a first place in Stagg Junior Varsity competition and its first IHSA team award, a third place at the Thornwood Tournament.
   Through CCFL competitions, Marian has also qualified an incredible 15 students for the Grand National Tournament on Memorial Day Weekend in Boston.
   "Under pressure from two separate leagues, these students have distinguished their gifts and Marian Catholic, as well as given us the sense of what Dominican Preaching is all about," Forensics coach Tom Sweeney assessed. "The students were able to take an expressive art and find truth, humor, justifications and magnificent timing to express many authors, their own ideas and develop mastery of their presentations.
   "To do this in two different leagues is incredible," he added, noting the Chicago Archdiocese competitions (three titles) and IHSA meets that include some of the state's top public school entries.
   Jaime Smith led the way in varsity competition at Stagg with six first places in preliminary and final rounds of Oral Interpretation with a total of the maximum 75 points, the first such occurrence in six years. Jean-Philip Brignol also earned a first place in Oratorical Declamation.
   Marian scored 134 as a team to edge out runner-up Fenwick (124) and Marist (102).
   Other varsity contributors at Stagg included the following. Oral Interpretation: Alex Kuehr, second; Jon Mercado, third. Extemporaneous Speaking: Joe Kasper, third; Elaine Wilson, fifth. Duo Interpretation: Mercado and Nick Wilson, second; Larry Hickey and Sean Becker, third. Dramatic Performance: Amy Dettmann, fourth. Oratorical Declamation: Catherine Mitros, third; Jim McGuire, fourth. Original Oration: Kate Payne, Louise Packard, both seventh.
   Qualifiers for the Boston National Tournament include Kasper and Elaine Wilson in Extemporaneous Speaking, Mitros, Brignol and McGuire in Oratorical Declamation, Dettmann and Matt Nix in Dramatic Performance, Hickey and Becker, Mercado and Nick Wilson, and Nicole and Samantha Padula in Duo Interpretation, and Smith, Kuehr and Mercado for Oral Interpretation.
   At the Thornwood IHSA event, Smith's first-place performance in Verse Reading sparked Marian to 347 points and third-place in the 17-team event behind Thornton and Shepard.
   Other top-finishers included Nicole and Samantha Padula (fifth, Dramatic Duet Acting), Smith (fifth, Dramatic Interpretation), Elaine Wilson (third, Extemporaneous Speaking), Joe Kasper (fifth, Extemporaneous Speaking), Hickey (second, Oratorical Declamation), Mitros (fifth, Oratorical Declamation), Mercado (second, Prose Reading) and Kuehr (third, Verse Reading).
   The JV Tourney at Stagg saw Marian score 110 points to finish just ahead of Stagg (96) and Fenwick (86), behind first-place performers Michael Whitaker (Extemporaneous Speaking), Jackie Saldariagga (Dramatic Performance), and Britney Andras and Elise Leonhardt (Duo Interpretation).
   The Marian Forensics program is coached by Sweeney, with assistance from Lee Cunningham, Greg Weiss, Mary Emig, Bob Anderson, Jason Gansauer, Josh Green, Bela Satra and Carrie Stultz.

Marian excels at Oak Lawn-Sandburg Invite

   Jaime Smith earned a first place in Verse Reading to lead the Marian Catholic Forensics team to a sixth-place overall finish on Dec. 13 at the Oak Lawn-Sandburg IHSA Tournament. The finish marked Marian's highest placement to date in an IHSA contest.
   Marian totaled 262 points, finishing only behind Shepard, Thornton, Downers Grove South and North, and Thornwood. Homewood-Flossmoor, Reavis, Wheaton-Warrenville South, Lincoln-Way East and Thornridge also competed.
   Alex Kuehr added a third place in Verse Reading for Marian, while other top Marian contributors included Michelle Pritchett (fifth, Radio Speaking), Larry Hickey and Sean Becker (fifth, Duet Acting) and Smith (seventh, Dramatic Interpretation). Joe Kasper just missed placing in Extemporaneous Speaking.
   The Marian Forensics program is coached by Tom Sweeney, with assistance from Lee Cunningham, Greg Weiss, Mary Emig, Bob Anderson, Jason Gansauer, Josh Green and Carrie Stultz.

Marian wins fifth straight Forensics tourney at Fenwick

   Marian Catholic's Forensics Team captured its fifth consecutive Chicago Catholic Forensics League Tournament on Dec. 6 when it won the 13-school Fenwick Invitational.
   Marian scored 153 to edge out Fenwick (132) and Marist (118).
   The champions got first or second-place performances from Jaime Smith, Alex Kuehr, Matt Nix, Larry Hickey, Sean Becker, Joe Kasper and Catherine Mitros..

Marian orators earn first place in own meet

   When Marian Catholic hosted its first forensics tournament in more than 10 years, it did it in style. Led by a first place from Jaime Smith in Oral Interpretation (among 27 entries), Marian scored 138 points to capture first place in the 12-school Chicago Catholic Forensics League Varsity Qualifier on Nov. 14.
   Marian edged out runner-up Fenwick (131) and third-place Marist (118).
   In Dramatic Performance, Marian got a second place from Amy Dettmann (among 22 entries) and a fifth place from Andy DeKruiff. Duo Interpretation saw Marian claim a second place by Jon Mercado/Nick Wilson (among 26 entries), a third-place by Nicole and Samantha Padula and a fourth place from Larry Hickey/Sean Becker.
   Joe Kasper earned a second place among 25 entries in Extemporaneous Speaking, while David Hric was second in Frosh-Soph Extemporaneous Speaking. Other Oral Interpretation honors went to Marian's Alex Kuehr (second place) and Jon Mercado (fifth place). In Oratorical Declamation, Jean-Phillip Brignol captured second place (among 23), Catherine Mitros was third and Jim McGuire fourth.
   The Marian orators will visit Thornton High School this weekend for their first IHSA Varsity meet..

Marian JV orators earn first place at Loyola

   With five contestants earning individual first-place honors, Marian Catholic's Junior Varsity  Speech Team captured first place Saturday at the 13-school Loyola Academy competition. Marian scored 132 points to outdistance runner-up Regina Dominican (97 points).
   First-place finishers for Marian included Samantha Padula and Nicole Padula (Duo Interpretation), Amy Dettmann (Dramatic Performance), Alex Kuehr (Oral Interpretation) and Catherine Mitros (Oral Declamation).
   Morgan Williams and Stephanie Erazo earned a second place for Duo Interpretation, while Marian third-place finishes came from Nick Wilson and Kuehr (Duo Interpretation), Ryan Kolczynski (Dramatic Performance) and Kate Payne (Original Oration). Marian got fourth-place finishes from Elise Leonhardt and Britney Andras (Duo Interpretation), Matt Nix (Dramatic Performance), Alex Stoterau (Dramatic Performance), Nick Wilson (Oral Interpretation) and Elaine Wilson (Extemporaneous Speaking).
    Fifth-place Marian finishers included Christopher Terriquez (Dramatic Performance) and Colleen Thomas (Oral Interpretation), while Lauren Eldridge (Oral Interpretation) and Becca Palmer (Original Oration) captured sixth-place honors.
    Marian will visit Junior Varsity tournaments at Regina Dominican on Nov. 1 and Downers Grove on Nov. 8, then will host the first Varsity Qualifier tournament for the Catholic League on Nov. 15.

2002-03: Speech second in state for Performance in the Round

   With its performance of Dr. Korczak and the Children, the Marian Catholic Speech Team captured a second place in IHSA state on Feb. 22 at Lincoln High School in Performance in the Round. The Marian entry finished only behind Wheaton-Warrenville South.
    The Marian cast included Cast: Kerry Clifford, Steve Tortorello, Larry Hickey, Amy Dettmann, Ryan Kolczynski,  Alex Kuehr, Nick Wilson and Catherine Mitros. The squad is coached by Tom Sweeney and Greg Weiss.

2002-03: Marian Speech wins IHSA Regional championship, qualifies for state

   Eight Marian Catholic students combined to earn a first-place IHSA Regional finish for Performance in the Round on recently at the Thornridge Regional competition. Marian also had five students in four events advance to Feb. 15 Sectional competition at Thornridge High School. At the sectional, the Performance in the Round Team qualified for IHSA State competition on Feb. 21-22 at Lincoln High School.
   The Performance in the Round cast includes Kerry Clifford, Amy Dettmann, Larry Hickey, Ryan Kolczynski, Alex Kuehr, Catherine Mitros, Steve Tortorello (photo) and Nick Wilson, with Jennifer Colleel and Katie Payne as assistant student directors.
   Sectional qualifiers in individual events included: Jean-Phillip Brignol (fourth, Original Oratory), Andy DeKruiff (fourth, Humorous Interpretation), Eric Hamilton and Mark Umstattd (third, Dramatic Duet Acting) and Joe Kasper (second, Extemporaneous Speaking).
   Other Marian orators placing in the final eight included Jon Mercado in Verse Reading, Louise Packard in Special Occasion Speaking, Nicole and Samantha Padula in Humorous Duet Acting and Jaime Smith in Radio Speaking.
   The Sectional competition is the last contest prior to the state finals.

Speech Team qualifies eight for Catholic Forensics nationals

   Marian Catholic's Speech Team has qualified seven orators for the National Catholic Forensics League competition on Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C., along with an eighth who will likely qualify as an alternate.
   As a team in last Saturday's competition at Stagg High School, the Marian varsity placed third and the junior varsity captured first place.
   "We are truly proud of these students who, together, have taken their place near the top of the Forensics League in such a short time," Moderator Tom Sweeney said.
   National qualifiers include Jaime Smith (first in Oral Interpretation), Mark Umstattd and Eric Hamilton (first in Duo Interpretation), Amy Dettmann (fourth in Oratorical Declamation), Umstattd (fourth in Dramatic Performance), Jon Mercado (fifth in Oral Interpretation), Catherine Mitros (fifth in Oratorical Declamation) and Steve Tortorello (fifth in Dramatic Performance). Seventh-place finisher Joe Kasper (Extemporaneous Speaking) is also virtually assured of getting the call for nationals.
   Marian's third-place varsity finish was sparked by the same group of eight, including first-place finishes from Smith, Hamilton and Umstattd.
   Marian coasted to the junior varsity title behind strong performances from Alex Kuehr (first, Dramatic Performance), Andy DeKruiff (second, Dramatic Performance), Stepanie Erazo and Morgan Williams (second, Dramatic Performance), Katie Payne (second, Oratorical Declamation), Tiffany Hoyne (third, Oral Interpretation), Pat Murphy (third, Oratorical Declamation) and Williams (third, Original Oration).
   Also, Nikki Boss and Jennifer Bothelho (fourth, Dramatic Interpretation), Louise Packard (fourth, Original Oration), Rachel Gonzalez (fifth, Original Oration), Tariq Kahn (sixth, Extemporaneous Speaking) and Samantha and Nicole Padula (sixth, Duo Interpretation).
   Marian will compete in the IHSA Stagg Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 18 as the final tuneup before regional, sectional and state contests in February.

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Phone: 708-755-7565
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Last Modified: Monday, August 29, 2005

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