Joliet West speech team advances in nine events at IHSA regionals

JOLIET – After its most successful season yet, the Joliet West High School speech team, coached by Kristin Blake, advanced in 9 out of 14 events at the IHSA regional tournament on Feb. 4.

The team also performed its second annual Regional Speech Team In-School Speech Showcase on Feb. 3 in preparation for the IHSA Regional Tournament.

The In-School Showcase featured a plethora of speaking and performance events including dramatic acting, humorous acting, informative speaking, poetry reading, oratorical declamation and impromptu speaking.

Congratulations to the following for performing at the In-School Showcase on Friday: Grace Meagher, senior; Julia Valera, senior; Eric Schuler, senior; Hope Taques, senior; Amy Gerwert Valdez, senior; Corrin Posteluk, junior; Anna Polacek, freshman; Zoe Manning, sophomore; Tony Nardi, sophomore; Casey Snow, sophomore

Congratulations to the following for qualifying for IHSA sectionals:

• Zoe Manning – qualified for dramatic interpretation and humorous interpretation

• Grace Meagher – qualified for extemporaneous speaking and oratorical declamation

• Tony Nardi – qualified for humorous duet acting

• Casey Snow – qualified for humorous duet acting

• Kendall Schlegel – qualified for informative speaking

• Eric Schuler– qualified for original comedy

• Julia Valera– qualified for radio speaking

• Michael Vanerka, Haylee Powers, Jessica Newby, Humberto Ortiz, Morgan Beene, Brittany Dunn, Billy Mills, Cheyenne Angus, Alexis Schofield, Elaina Naling, Aliah Teclaw – performance in the round