As a capstone to a phenomenal season, the Wheaton Warrenville South Speech Team finishes fourth out of over 200 teams. The statewide competition lasted three weeks, with the state tournament held in the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Ill. However, this brief period is backed by half a year of dedication. Here is an overview of South’s season and details on the Tigers’ winning formula. 

Back in 2024, the Speech Team wasted no time forming their lineup for the season. After a rigorous audition process in early September, coaches compiled a talented group of over 70 orators. All first-year speakers are designated as the “Novice Team”, while more experienced members are given the title of “Varsity.” Differing from other schools, South has all Novice speakers “graduate” into Varsity following the month-long Novice Season. 

For the bulk of the team, the competitive season starts with Thornton’s Turkey Tourney. As the name suggests, this meet occurs during Thanksgiving break, with top-placing teams even earning a frozen turkey. The themed tournaments continue, with Neuqua Valley’s bean-themed competition, Naperville Central’s Tournament of Roses, and South’s own Tiger Tourney.

While the South Speech Team has a history of high performance, the group’s strength rests in camaraderie, not trophies. When asked about the “secret ingredient” to South’s success, Varsity Speaker Ellie Hay comments: “It’s the community that’s built by the Speech Team. I know [in] a lot of other teams there’s a disconnect between the athletes…and the [competitors] because there tends to be a ‘we-need-to-win mindset.’ But the thing with [our] Speech [Team] is we’re all there to support each other.”

To keep up to date with the team’s activities, follow Tiger Speech (@wwspeech) on Instagram.