Lemont Speech Team Heads to Sectionals

Just five years ago, the Lemont High School Speech team was made up of just four or five students, and struggled to stay competitive with some of the powerhouse programs in the area.

Today, however, Lemont boasts a strong coaching staff and more than 60 students with a broad range of talents and backgrounds. After wrapping up one of the strongest seasons in the program's short history, the team now has their eyes on the IHSA championship series.

"The development of this team has been truly remarkable, especially considering where we were just five years ago," head coach Dan Franke said.

On Saturday, students will represent Lemont High School in 13 of 15 events at the IHSA Sectional at Reavis. On Feb. 5, the school hosted the Regional Championship, in which they earned 60 points and finished second to Carl Sandburg High School. The team won regional titles in five of 15 events, including the team category of Performance in the Round.

Individuals competing Saturday are:

• Danny Kulasik and Aubree Tally (First place, Dramatic Duet Acting)
• Senior Enrika Grigorjevaite (Fourth place, Dramatic Interpretation)
• Aubree Tally (Second place, Humorous Interpretation)
• Rachel Hunter (Third place, Impromptu Speaking)
• Delia Ercoli (Second place, Informative Speaking)
• Delia Ercoli (First place, Oratorical Declamation)
• Gabriella Zeman (Third place, Original Comedy)
• Amy Harlovic (First place, Original Oratory)
• Rob Smierciak (Second place, Poetry Reading)
• Nathan Nievert (Second place, Prose Reading)
• Leslie Kane (Fourth place, Radio Speaking)
• Danny Kulasik (First place, Special Occasion Speaking)

Lemont has won four competitions this year, and has placed in the top three teams at 11 different competitions. Last month, the team repeated as the South Suburban Conference Blue Division champions, earing 12 top-five finishes across 14 categories.

The team's success this season has been particularly gratifying for Franke, who has been working with assistant coach Dennis Brumirski to advance the talents of an already gifted group of students.

"The range of talents is enormous," Franke said. "We've worked hard to identify students who could participate in specific events, and from there we've just been developing their techniques and building the culture of Speech."

Brumirski, who previously coached the Speech team at Shephard High School, said the mixture of talent has been the key to Lemont's success.

"(Dan Franke) did a great job getting the right kids together and promoting Speech within the school," he said. "The program has just blow up in the past few years."

Participating in Speech competitions requires a student to be more than just a good speaker, Franke said. With categories such as "Dramatic Duet Acting" and "Original Comedy," students must also be good actors.

"We do have a lot of spillover from Drama Club, since Speech requires students to be dynamic performers," he said. "At the same time, the skills we're teaching them are applicable to their everyday lives — whether it's in the classroom, in a job interview or just their conversations with other people."

For junior Gaby Zeman, Speech team has provided her an outlet to explore her love of acting.

"I love performing, and this club has definitely made me feel more comfortable on stage," Zeman said. "I don't know if people realize how hard we work at what we do."

As Lemont moves forward in the IHSA Championship Series, Franke said the team will continue practicing every day and and using their experience to further develop their talents.

"These kids are the bravest kids in the school," Franke said. "I know they'll continue to work hard and give everything they have when they go out on stage."