After months of practicing and competing, speech team season ended Feb. 10 with their sectional tournament.

Only a few members from the speech team competed at sectionals: senior Efrain Aguilar took first place in oratorical declamation, senior Kate Bove took fourth place in poetry reading, and senior Jack Gillespie took first place in special occasion speaking.

“All of them placed in the final round but none of them advanced to the state competition. It had to be the top three to advance to state, and none of them placed in the top three,” speech coach Paul Lichy said.

Although the members didn’t qualify for state, members were still happy.

“People that have been here for more than three years, making it to sectionals and almost to state was great,” senior Efrain Aguilar said.

This season held a lot of special moments and experiences for speech members.

“The biggest highlight was the bonding that we had. Saturday mornings waking up at 6 a.m. and just spending the day with each other, it was one of the magical times that we had,” Aguilar said.

Speech team has already set goals for next season.

“(For the next season) I’d like to see our numbers increase a little bit, and our younger speakers step up,” Lichy said.

Next season auditions start in early October and the first tournament in November.