HHS takes the talk in tournament

The Harrisburg Speech Team loudly made its presence known in Benton as it rocked the Saturday match with a second place overall honor and getting several first and second place awards for finalists.

"I am extremely proud of our team," Coach Tina Mondino said, "and all the hard work they have invested to perform their very best."

The team starts preparing in the summer, researching topics and reading and cutting down scripts, and then writing original speeches. The rehearsals get more intensive during September.

The team placed fourth a week before, Nov. 14, at the Belleville East Tournament where Harrisburg competed against 17 other schools. It was the first tournament of the season and Andrew Jeffries took first place in humorous interpretation, and Micaylen Wolf took first in informative speaking.

Four regular season tournaments are coming up -- two in December and two in January -- with regionals looming the first Saturday in February.

The Benton match brought many first place wins for Harrisburg including Gracie Alexander and Zach Mitchell for varsity humorous duet acting, Kole Phelps and Jasmine Teston for JV dramatic duet acting, Kikkie Stovall for JV informative speaking, Aruniti Manawa for JV original oratory, Jasmine Teston for JV prose, Chloe Thomas for JV poetry, and Callie Oxford for JV special occasion speaking.

Andrew Jefferies took second in varsity dramatic interpretation, Micaylen Wolf took second in varsity informative speaking, and Gracie Alexander took second place in varsity prose.

Mondino and assistant coaches Benjie Willsey, Laila Abdo and Zach Hanks add congratulations and good luck to the team on its next tournament.