The Rochelle Township High School Speech team competed in the Byron Christmas Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 20. The team placed third out of the 13 teams participating.

Individuals who earned finalist honors included:

Varsity division:

• Brooklyn Hull/Derek Swartz - first place - Dramatic Duet Acting.
• Alayna Smardo - first place - Oratory.
• Abby Losoya - second place - Poetry Reading.
• Brooklyn Hull - third place - Dramatic Interpretation.
• Abby Losoya/Sophia Losoya - fourth place - Humorous Duet Acting.
• Theia Venuso - fourth place - Oratorical Declamation.
• Bella Biggs - fifth place - Prose Reading.
• Daphne Wise - sixth place - Humorous Interpretation.
• Alex Soto - sixth place - Oratorical Declamation.

Next-in division:

• Derek Swartz - first place - Humorous Interpretation.
• Lily Wengelewski - first place - Informative Speaking.
• Austin Cruz - second place - Original Comedy.
• Bella Biggs - third place - Oratorical Declamation.
• Alayna Smardo - third place - Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Matilda Gonser - third place - Radio Speaking.
• Ben Hayes - third place - Informative Speaking.
• Connor Macklin - fourth place - Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Matilda Gonser - fourth place - Informative Speaking.
• Sophia Losoya - fourth place - Prose Reading.
• Daphne Wise - fourth place - Special Occasion Speaking.
• Connor Macklin - fifth place - Impromptu Speaking.
• Julian Groves - fifth place - Original Comedy.
• Bella Marruffo/Brock Dickey - sixth place - Humorous Duet Acting.
• Hailey Bunger - sixth place - Informative Speaking.
• Hailey Bunger - seventh place - Impromptu Speaking.

Novice division:

• Brock Dickey - first place - Impromptu Speaking.
• Barbara Palmer - first place - Oratorical Declamation.
• Om Shah - first place - Special Occasion Speaking.
• Molly Kedzie/Lily Wengelewski - first place - Dramatic Duet Acting.
• Bella Marruffo - second place - Special Occasion Speaking.
• Lydia LeFevre - second place - Oratory.
• Yana Bartkiv - second place - Poetry Reading.
• Gavin Villatoro - third place - Informative Speaking.
• Savannah Elshoff - third place - Oratorical Declamation.
• Ben Hayes - fourth place - Impromptu Speaking.
• Om Shah - fourth place - Radio Speaking.
• Lydia LeFevre - fifth place - Dramatic Interpretation.
• Layla Block - fifth place - Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Molly Kedzie - sixth place - Prose Reading.

Alayna Smardo was Speaker of the Week.