MDI orators are best in Maine
BAR HARBOR — The Mount Desert Island High School speech team was crowned state champion Sunday, in only its second year of existence.

The six-member MDIHS team competed against some squads nearly five times its size.

“The team accomplished something most thought statistically impossible – with six members they prevailed over 28-member powerhouse Skowhegan, who has consistently been state champ for a decade,” said the team’s coach, Marjory Russakoff.

MDI finished with 40 points, while Skowhegan had 36 for second place and Cape Elizabeth had 23 to capture third. In all, teams from 14 schools competed.

“Jan. 31 was a 20-hour day for us … but just about the best one I ever spent,” Ms. Russakoff said.

Individual awards

Taylor LaCasse took two first-place awards, one for Novice Prose and one for an original work. Maddy Johnson placed first in Novice Poetry and second in Oratorical Declamation. Anna Rose Keefe took a first-place award for Prose, and third place in Humorous Interpretation.

Continuing the winning streak, Stephen Palazola placed first in Oratorical Declamation and third for Novice Prose. Sean Keady placed second in Prose and fifth in Poetry. Zach Dewey missed the final round by one point.

Ms. Russakoff, who volunteers her time, was nominated for coach of the year. She said she was honored by the nomination.

To prepare for the competition, students researched and created introductions, orally interpreted texts, and incorporated critiques from past coaching sessions and competitions into their presentations.

They had help from Becky Keefe, a special education teacher at MDIHS and mother of one of the competitors. Ms. Russakoff said Ms. Keefe “is my right-hand woman: she is a valued collaborator, a judge at tournaments (which involves listening to and writing critiques for more than 20 students over an eight-hour period), an essential support to the team and a co-chaperone.”