Roncalli’s speech team enjoyed one of its finest days in the 30-year history of the program by placing second at the sectional championships and qualifying 13 students for the state finals March 12.
State qualifiers and their results in the sectional are (in no particular order) Shayla Cabalan, first, original oratory; Cabalan and Rachael Barnhorst, first, original performance; Maria Hollowell and Grace Murphy, first, memorized duo; Amy Weilhammer, first,
declamation; Luke Jones, second, original performance, and fourth, poetry; Ronnie Kawak, second, discussion; Dave and Ellen Schrader, second, memorized duo; Brandon Sturdivant and Courtney Smith, second, scripted duo; Murphy, Hollowell and Sturdivant, second, third and fifth, respectively, humorous interpretation; Nick Plahitko, third, radio broadcasting; and Carolina Whitaker, fifth, declamation.
Cabalan placed fifth at the state meet and was Roncalli’s first finalist since 2010. She and Barnhorst made it to the top 12 in original performance.