Three Lemont Speech Competitors Post Top 10 Finishes

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School juniors Annabelle Franzese, Shane Storti and Evangeline Topete all posted top ten finishes at the 2026 IHSA Speech State Finals, which were contested on Feb. 20-21 at the Peoria Civic Center, LHS shared in a news release.

Storti was seventh in Humorous Interpretation and teamed with Franzese for 10th place in Humorous Duet Acting, while Topete placed eighth in Impromptu Speaking. All three earned berths after runner-up finishes at the IHSA Thornton Sectional, the school said.

In Humorous Interpretation, students present literary material from a printed, published source that meets high standards for good literature; Storti’s entry was “World’s Best Teacher.”

In the Impromptu Speaking category, students provide an original expository oral presentation using their own content, format, style and thoughts. According to LHS, with their performance of “Boy Meets Girl,” Franzese and Storti became Lemont’s first state qualifiers in Humorous Duet Acting, a category in which two individuals present a humorous selection from a single, published source.

Lemont placed third at the IHSA Southland College Prep Regional, as all three of Lemont’s state qualifiers earned runner-up finishes, the school said. Lemont advanced entries to sectional competition in 11 of 15 events.

Head coach Phil Lazzari’s team won its 17th straight South Suburban Conference-Blue Division crown this season, with Topete earning a conference title in Impromptu Speaking.

Lemont has advanced an entry to state finals competition in 13 of 18 seasons, with a school record four state qualifiers in both 2022 and 2024, the school said. The top three performers (including third place ties) from each of 15 events at six IHSA Sectionals advance to the IHSA State Finals.