Wellington Speech & Debate had an excellent overall performance at the November 2024 PBCFL at Dwyer High School on Saturday.
In Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Colten Pride took first place with a 4-0 record, while Ben Dufour went 3-1 and placed fourth. In Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Emma Gardner went 3-1 and took fifth in her first-ever LD competition.
In Oral Interpretation, novice Quinn Mawhinney placed second and novice Zhane Barber took sixth.
In Duo Interpretation, the team of Madison Neltner and Olivia Winton placed third.
In Congressional Debate, Leonardo Fernandez Castillo placed second, Jonathan Paul fifth, and both Riley Hidalgo-Gato and Aliah Oliva sixth, while Maggie Crum was recognized as her chamber’s top presiding officer in her first time running a congress session.
Wellington debaters earned seven new degrees and memberships. Both Jonathan Paul and Adam Tryniszewski earned the Degree of Excellence, passing the 150-point mark, while five students – Sara Akif, Zhane Barber, Joshua Dimaiwat, Ben Dufour, and Quinn Mawhinney – earned their National Speech & Debate Association Honor Society membership.