A well balanced team and many coaches looks to give the Speech Team an edge in competition this year.

“The first meeting went well. It is always a daunting meeting because you can’t expalin speech or what it is or how we do it fully in such a short amount of time,” adviser Paul Lichy said.

English teacher Mark Begovich coaches radio speaking, dramatic interpretation, prose reading, and impromptu speaking.

Sophomore Grecia Bahena and junior Jack Gillespie are part of radio speaking.

For dramatic interpretation, junior Natalie Thompson and freshman Moncerat Hernandez will participate. Freshman Maahum Hamayat and junior Dylan Davidson will compete in prose reading while senior Patrick McCormick and freshman Odeth Rubio will be part of impromptu speaking.

English teacher Brian Turnbaugh is the coach for extemporaneous speaking, informative speaking and original oratory.

Senior Maxx Smith, junior Mike Sawicki and freshman Kevin Paige are competing in extemporaneous speaking.

Juniors Zane Hassan and Alexis Perezchica will be part of informative speaking.

“I’m expecting to work really hard with my coaches and to be able to get good results and not just score wise but personally as well. I want to give a very important informative speech,” Perezchica said.

Freshman Ansh Patel is part of original oratory.

Lichy will be coaching dramatic duet acting and seniors Maggie Clancy, Nayeli Miguel, junior Thompson and sophomore Neve Ryan will participate in it.

Special education teacher Anthony Kortas is coaching original declamation, humorous interpretation, and special occasion speaking.

Freshman Odeth Rubio and juniors Grace Vanco and Sawicki will perform in original declamation.

Sophomore Emily Carroso and freshman Steven Demma will be competing in humorous interpretation.

Junior Efrain Aguilar and Gillespie are competing in special occasion speaking.

Social studies teacher Nicole Stadler is coaching original comedy, poetry,  and humorous duet acting.

McCormick and Perezchica will be participated in humorous duet acting.

“I am trying to make a really funny speech and show the meaning of it (in humorous duet acting),” Perezchica said.

Junior Kate Bove, freshman Becky Rethford, Clancy and Carroso are in humorous duet acting.

Seniors Sara Richert, Taisha Walker and Bove will speak about poetry.

“This team is one of the most balanced that we had in a long time. I think we have good reputation in all of the 14 events which is a good thing about the team,” Lichy said.

Lichy believes that doing the work will give the team success.

“I think we look past hard work. We look at how we want to win a trophy or get better at something. But, doing the actual work that is required goes by the wayside. I would want people to be focusing on that,” Lichy said.

Their first competition is at Downers Grove North High School on Nov. 5