Courtesy of Mark Simon.

The Metea Valley Speech Team made school history this past weekend, advancing 8 out of 15 events to the IHSA State Tournament, the most in program history.

For senior captain Matthew Bigham, the accomplishment represents more than just numbers.

“Advancing 8 out of 15 events to state is huge for the team,” Bigham said. “The most we’ve ever had is six, so we actually broke a record in doing so. It really goes to show just how competitive Metea is and how hard everyone on this team works.”

Senior captain Ojas Sachan emphasized this success by mentioning how “[Me] and the other captains are really, really proud of the fact that [we] sent eight people. It’s a really big deal.”

This year’s team stands out for its success and its members as individuals. According to Bigham, the team is younger than in previous seasons but still has some of the greatest performances.

“There aren’t a lot of seniors on the team, so we really built the team up from the ground up with younger members,” Bigham said. “They’re full of talent, and they push our seniors to work harder, making us more competitive overall.”

That sense of unity and shared motivation has been a defining factor all season. Senior captain Sreeya Ayyagari emphasized that the team’s strength goes beyond competition.

“In the past four years that I’ve been on this team, speech has always been just as much about the community aspect as the competitive aspect,” Ayyagari said. “It felt like you basically had the whole team there to help you if you needed it.”

This was also brought up by Sachan when he talked about the audition process and community aspects of speech.

“We’re a pretty competitive team,” Sachan mentioned. “We have auditions, and we usually cut about half of our people, but once that sort of season of competition in auditions gets over, then it turns very much away from competition against each other, and more competition with each other and on the team. We have a really great environment where we’re all a community, like one big family.”

The leadership team came up with the slogan “Competition is our Mission” to guide this year’s season. Ayyagari said that mindset influenced everything from audition decisions to the tone set by captains and event leaders.

“In creating this idea that we are a team that puts maximum effort and shows the best side of ourselves with each performance, we were really able to see a lot of success this season,” Ayyagari said.

While the team is proud of breaking records, both captains agree that simply reaching the state is already a major victory. Metea competes in one of the most competitive sectionals in Illinois, making qualification a challenge in itself.

“Getting to state is incredibly difficult,” Bigham said. “Just the fact that so many of us have the opportunity to even compete there at all is an incredible accomplishment.”

Sachan shared his hopes for the state tournament taking place this Friday, the 20th, and Saturday, the 21st.

“Success at state for this team would just be placing somewhere in the team sweeps,” Sachan said. “Last year, we didn’t place at all in the team sweeps, but we only had four events going. This year, we have eight, doubling our chances, and we have a really good amount of talent here.”

Beyond trophies and placements, the captains hope the school community recognizes what speech truly represents.

“A big part of what makes our team what it is is the family and community aspect,” Ayyagari said. “Speech is so much more than just public speaking.”

With eight events heading to state and momentum on their side, Metea Valley Speech is not only celebrating a record-breaking season, but they’re also building a foundation for continued success in the years to come.