The 2026 Jackson Heights Forensics season came to a close this weekend, as five members of the team traveled to Sedgwick, Kansas to compete in the KSHSAA 2A State Speech and Drama Championships.
After a slow start to the season, the Cobra Forensics team began finding their groove at the NEKL League Tournament on February 18, hosted by Troy. Seniors James Bottom and Coralynn Karns received first place in Improvised Duet Acting, securing them a spot at the state championship tournament. At the same meet, junior Ethan Gulotta received third place in Impromptu Speaking, earning him his first spot at the 2026 championship.
The ACCHS Talking Tigers Invitational on March 7 added two more state qualifications for the team. Gulotta picked up his second qualifying event, with a first place in Extemporaneous Speaking, while sophomore Jordyn Banaka qualified for a spot in Serious Solo Acting.
The Red Hawk Invitational, which took place on April 11 in Hiawatha, resulted in state qualifications for Bottom in Extemporaneous Speaking, Oration of Poetry, and Serious Solo Acting; Gulotta in Program of Oral Interpretation; and senior Talen Browning in Impromptu Speaking and Original Oration. Overall, the Cobra team fared well at the Hiawatha meet, taking home second place in team sweeps.
According to JHHS Forensics Coach Sarah Cormier, three matches were pivotal in these five competitors landing their spots at State. “We had a great run at NEKL League in Troy this year, as well as at ACCHS, but the Hiawatha meet was a huge qualifying tournament for our team,” Cormier said.
Gulotta was the lone Cobra to battle his way through earlier rounds, moving on to compete against eleven other top Impromptu speakers in semifinals.
With the state championship tournament over, the team will spend the remainder of the school year picking out pieces and preparing for next year. The next forensics season will kick off in January of 2027.