On Feb. 6, the Forensics team began its road to state with awards and recognition at the Regionals Championship. The team was able to breeze through the competition, coming in first place. 

Last year the team won their first state championship, which set the standard high for this season. Senior Presleigh Renner, who is competing in poetry reading this year, was on the state championship winning team last year.

“Although we feel some pressure to repeat as state champions, we don’t let it get to our head,” Renner said. “We focus on doing the best job we can in our individual competitions, and hope that it leads to another state title.”

Forensics is not like a typical IHSA sport. People move on by their individual events, and at the sectional tournament on Feb. 13, only the top three move on to state in each event. One of the many events that the team excels in is PIR, Performance in the Round. It is an event unique to the state series in which 10-15 people engage in a 15-minute play in a circle.

At the regional tournament this weekend, the team placed first in this event. Among some of the members are Rachael Han, Tim Moser, Evan Donaldson, Will DeAngelis, and Caity Tirakian. Senior Rachael Han enjoys this event, and hopes to find success this weekend in her last season on the Forensics team. “It’s a really fun event to be a part of, with all of the people working simultaneously,” Han said.

Among other members who are moving onto sectionals this weekend are Erika Mertz for original comedy and humorous interpretation, Chloe Langhorn and Arman Haveric in humorous duet acting, Anastasia Kasimos in prose reading, and Shaan Keswaani in radio and original oratory. The acts put on by the students include memorizing lines to saying a whole radio broadcast within five minutes.

The state championship is scheduled for Feb. 20.