TRAIL BLAZER

As far as anybody can recall, Ben Mazurek is making history.
The St. Mary’s-Colgan High School sophomore will compete at the National Forensics League National Tournament, to be held June 15-20 in Las Vegas.
“As far as I know, I’m the first NFL national qualifier from Colgan,” he said.
Mazurek will compete in the area of humorous interpretation with a selection titled “The Censored Play” by David J. LeMaster.
“My forensics coach, Alice Hilt, gave me some possible selections, and I thought this one was best,” he said. “I can do the different voices in the piece, and I think it’s pretty funny. It takes crude humor and turns it backward.”
The son of John and Dianne Mazurek, he said that he became involved with singing, dancing and acting when he was in fourth or fifth grade.
“I did Show Biz Kids at the Pittsburg Family YMCA,” Mazurek said. “I’ve also been in a lot of plays here. I was the Scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and I was in ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof’.”
He also does cross country and track
Mazurek is not sure yet what career he wants to pursue, but does hope to continue doing forensics in college.
“It helps you to be more outgoing and talk to people,” Mazurek said. “I want to encourage everyone to get into forensics. It’s a big confidence boost.”
He doesn’t predict how he’ll fare at the national tournament. “Just to go to Las Vegas and compete there will be a great experience,” he said.
He’ll be accompanied by his forensics coach, and she’s also very excited.
“This is a huge achievement for SMC forensics,” Hilt said. “I’m also going to have the opportunity to judge one of the interpretation finals or semi-finals at the tournament, and I’m looking forward to that.”
Besides that, it will be the farthest west that Hilt has been. “Before this, the farthest west I’ve been is Wichita,” she said.