This past weekend the MSHSL State Speech Tournament took place at Blaine High School where nine students from Orono High School competed in various categories, but only two made it to the finals. Among those students one stood out to the judges among the rest: Jack Ellis. A junior at Orono, Ellis performed in Serious Interpretation of Drama for the judges and came out on top receiving first place and the state champion title. As his third year on speech, this is the third year of making it to the MSHSL State Speech Tournament. Ellis continues to make new school records, starting last year as the first person to final at the tournament (6th place, Humorous Interpretation, 2013), as well as this year bringing home Orono’s first national qualifier in his piece, “If we hired a surrogate, how come I’m the one with morning sickness” by Marco Pennette.