Grace Keenan, a George Mason High School junior, won two awards on Feb. 24 at the D.C. metro area’s annual Speech tournament, hosted by the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensic League.

She placed fourth in Original Oratory for a speech she wrote and delivered to raise awareness about invisible illnesses such as POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which she has. She placed third in Dramatic Interpretation for a piece about young women forced decades ago to place their babies for adoption. The awards qualify Keenan, the founder and captain of the Mason Speech team, to compete at the annual National Catholic Forensic tournament in May.

Also this past weekend, the Mason Speech Team traveled to the Regional Forensics Meet at Robert E. Lee HS in Staunton. Sequoia Wyckoff took third place in Original Oratory, while Hannah Whitlock took third place in Dramatic Interpretation. Both girls move on to the State competition on March 24 in Midlothian, just outside of Richmond.