Speech Team Brings Home Awards!

Congratulations to the Speech Team!

At this weekend’s tournament at the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School, 4 members of the Speech Team won awards:

SR Nelya Dlugunovych and SM Isabella Ochoa placed 1st and 4th in Original Oratory, and Nelya qualified for the New York State Championships in April JR Sofia Rivera placed 5th in Varsity Extemp Speaking, and SM Aoife (EE-fuh) Hackett placed 1st in Declamation Overall, the team received a trophy for its 3rd Place finish at the tournament.

This season, the Speech Team presently consists of 22 members: 2 SRs, 4 JRs, 8 SMs and 8 FW. We have competed in 7 tournaments and our students have won 29 individual awards and 7 team awards. Three team members (SR Nelya Dlugunovych, SM Mia Mohammed and FW Elizabeth Frandy) have already qualified to compete in the New York State Championships in April, and more will qualify over the next month. With the team overwhelmingly comprised of underclasspersons, we have a great deal of optimism for the future, as these relatively inexperienced speakers grow in maturity, depth of understanding and competitive tournament participation.

Upcoming tournaments will be hosted by St Francis Prep on 2/1, the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School on 3/2 and Archbishop Molloy HS on 3/15. The State Championships will be held at the Bronx HS of Science in April and the National Catholic Championships (for which some of our students will qualify next month) will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Additionally, 10 members of our team will compete on 2/7-9 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The members of the Speech Team are quite dedicated, resourceful and industrious. All members practice after school twice a week, assisted by their coach/moderator Kieran Larkin and assistant coach Caitlin Leahy, a TMLA Speech Team alumna.