For the second time in three years, Lemont High School’s Speech team has advanced two students to state finals competition.

Senior Aubree Tally (Dramatic Interpretation) and junior Ryan Luzzo (Prose Reading) each posted runner-up finishes in their events at the IHSA Reavis Sectional on Feb. 9 to earn berths to the 2013 IHSA Speech StateFinals, which will be contested on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15 and 16, at the Peoria Civic Center.

Tally will be making her second state finals appearance, while Luzzo will be making his state finals debut. Lemont tied for fifth at the IHSA Reavis Sectional, marking the program’s best placement in sectional competition.

Tally’s entry - “A Very Common Procedure,” was third at the IHSA Lockport Regional, but she improved to a second-place finish behind Thornton’s Destin Patton-Warner a week later at the IHSA Reavis Sectional. In Dramatic Interpretation, students present literary material from a printed, published source.

Luzzo made even greater strides between regional and sectional competition. His entry, “Will Grayson Will Grayson,” was fourth at the regional, but he jumped up to a runner-up finish behind Thornton’s Rahgene Hoard at the sectional.  In Prose Reading, competitors provide an oral interpretation of prose literature.

The 2013 IHSA Speech State Finals will begin in the afternoon on Friday and conclude on Saturday. The awards ceremony is set to begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The top three performers from each of 15 events at the six IHSA Sectionals advance to the IHSA State Finals. All competitors who tie for third place move on to the state finals as well, which is why some events have more than 18 entrants. Tally will be one of 18 competitors in Dramatic Interpretation, while Luzzo will be one of 19 in Prose Reading.

Lemont’s Speech team won its fourth straight South Suburban Conference-Blue Division title this season, thanks in part to first-place finishes from juniors Peter Marzano (Impromptu Speaking) and Liam Purtle and Robert Rigler (Humorous Duet Acting); and runner-up placements from Tally (Dramatic Interpretation), Luzzo (Prose Reading) and senior Maha Longi (Original Oratory).

Lemont finished third at the IHSA Lockport Regional and advanced competitors to sectional competition in 12 of 15 events. The squad posted three event wins at the regional, including Luzzo in Special Occasion Speaking; junior Sydney Bozich in Informative Speaking; and junior Anne Marie Alwan and sophomore Nick Lambrakis in Dramatic Duet Acting. The team is coached by Phil Lazzari and David Lindley.

Tally and Delia Ercoli (Class of 2011) each posted top-three finishes at the 2011 IHSA Speech State Finals, with Tally placing third in Humorous Interpretation and Ercoli finishing second in Informative Speaking. That year, Ercoli became the first Lemont student to qualify for state finals competition in two categories, as she also took part in Oratorical Declamation. Lemont’s first speech state finals qualifier was Bryan Carver (Class of 2009) (Humorous Interpretation) in 2009.

Editor’s note: Information for this story is from a press release by Tony Hamilton, Lemont High School District 210 director of school and community relations.

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