McHenry County College Debaters Win State Tournament

The McHenry County College (MCC) Speech and Debate team received several awards at the Illinois Inter-Collegiate Forensics Association’s 2025 State Tournament, which took place over the last two weekends in February. The first weekend was a virtual debate competition, while the second week consisted of individual events hosted by Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

The results of the team were as follows:

• First Place Debate Team Sweepstakes, 2-Year Division
• Semi-Finalist, Open Division Parliamentary Debate: Calvin Hamill (Spring Grove) and Caden Kotecki (Harvard)
• Semi-Finalist, International Public Debate Association, 2-Year Division: Caden Kotecki
• Quarter-Finalist, Open Division International Public Debate Association: Calvin Hamill
• Octo-Finalist, Open Division International Public Debate Association: Mark Luchsinger (McHenry)
• Fifth Place Overall Team Sweepstakes, 2-Year Division
• Sixth Place Impromptu Speaking, 2-Year Division: Calvin Hamill
• Sixth Place Speaking to Entertain, 2-Year Division: Clara Solak (Crystal Lake)
• Top Novice Prose: Sabrina Nardi (McHenry)
• Also competing: Elsbeth Haylock (Hebron)

“While we’ve had individual state champions in the past, this is the first time MCC’s team has won any team sweepstakes in the more than 20-year history of the program,” said Speech and Debate program director Bonnie Gabel.

“The talent and hard work these students put in has put them on top,” added assistant coach Sarah Metivier Schadt, who is also an MCC alum.

The public is invited to see the team in action at the upcoming Spring Showcase, April 3 at 2:30 and 7 p.m. in Room A211 at the College. Tickets are $5 for the 75-minute program. The showcase will cap off the season at home as the team heads to Norfolk, VA for the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament the following week.
 
For more information, please contact Bonnie Gabel at bgabel@mchenry.edu.