Lemont Speech matches program best with two medals at 2021 IHSA State Finals

For just the second time in school history, Lemont High School’s Speech Team earned multiple medals in state finals competition. At the 2021 IHSA Speech State Finals, which were held virtually on February 19-20, the school’s Performance in the Round entry earned a third place medal, while senior Nour Longi placed sixth in Radio Speaking. Sophomore Elle Jeffress made her state finals debut in Poetry Reading and tied for 11th.

Thanks to its performances at the IHSA Reavis Sectional, head coach Phil Lazzari’s team matched a single-season school record with its three state qualifiers. Lemont boasted three state qualifiers in 2017 and 2020, and has qualified at least one entry for state finals competition in nine of 13 seasons.

Lemont advanced to the state finals in the Performance in the Round category for the first time in school history thanks to a runner-up finish at the sectional. “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” was directed by Leslie Kane and featured senior Marie Klapacz, sophomores Daniel Irace and Toni Sarussi, and freshmen Emmie Hunnewell, Alana Nisperos, Tess O’Brien, Lukas Petraitis and Max Schuette. This category features material involving three or more students in a space where the fourth wall is removed, bringing actors into the same space as the audience.

Longi joined Reema Dhawan ‘20 (Special Occasion Speaking, 2020) and Nick Lambrakis ‘15 (Oratorical Declamation, 2014) as the only Lemont speech students to win a sectional title. In the Radio Speaking category, students make an oral presentation of a newscast after being given limited preparation time to select, cut and prepare to deliver an original five minute broadcast of news stories and a commercial. Longi, who made her state finals debut in Original Oratory in 2020, joins Lambrakis and Aubree Tally ‘13 as the only two-time state qualifiers in school history.

Jeffress placed second at the sectional with an oral interpretation Poetry Reading of “The Consequences of Womanhood”.

The top three performers from each of 15 events at the six IHSA Sectionals advance to the IHSA State Finals. All competitors who tie for third place move on to the state finals as well, which gives some events more than 18 entrants.

Lemont finished third at the IHSA Joliet Central Regional and advanced competitors to sectional competition in 14 of 15 events. Regional champions included Performance in the Round and senior Lauren Rearden (Humorous Interpretation), while Longi (Original Oratory, Radio Speaking), senior Makenzie Michaelson (Prose Reading) and junior Tarika Oberai (Informative Speaking) all posted runner-up finishes in regional competition.

Lazzari’s team won its 12th straight South Suburban Conference-Blue Division title this season, with Longi repeating as the SSC champion in Radio Speaking.

Lemont first had two state medalists in the same season in 2011, as Delia Ercoli ‘11 was second in Informative Speaking and Tally placed third in Humorous Interpretation. Ercoli became the first Lemont student to qualify for state finals competition in two categories in one season, taking part in Oratorical Declamation as well in 2011. Other state medalists include Dhawan (3rd, Special Occasion Speaking, 2020), Kiara Hardy ‘17 (4th, Oratorical Declamation, 2017) and Ryan Luzzo ‘14 (6th, Prose Reading, 2013).

Additional state finals qualifiers have included Lambrakis (Oratorical Declamation, 2014; Dramatic Interpretation, 2015), Rearden (Humorous Interpretation, 2020),Tally (Dramatic Interpretation, 2013), Devin Becker ‘17 (Prose Reading, 2017), Bryan Carver ‘09 (Humorous Interpretation, 2009), Hailey Jones ‘17 (Informative Speaking, 2017), Peter Marzano ‘14 (Extemporaneous Speaking, 2014), Grace Smiles ‘18 (Dramatic Interpretation, 2018) and Becca Zagorski ‘15 (Radio Speaking, 2015).