2016 NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP @ SALT LAKE CITY:
Florida Oceanfront students wrecked it at the 2016 NSDA National Championship in Salt Lake City – a pretty amazing set of results for our third-year district. As chair of our district, I could not be prouder of our students and coaches and their individual and collective success!
Nathaniel Sweet, Boca Raton, Congressional Debate-House: 5th Place!
Haleigh McGirt, Jupiter, Program of Oral Interpretation: 6th Place!
Narrelle Gilchrist, Forest Hill, Congressional Debate-House: 9th Place!
Taylor Rich, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Congressional Debate-House: 11th Place!
Nicole Lucas & Josh Schulster, Boca Raton, Public Forum Debate: 13th Place!
Victor Sanchez, Wellington, Congressional Debate-Senate: 16th Place!
Greg Seabrooks, Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, Congressional Debate-Senate: 17th Place!
Additional Oceanfront students who advanced past preliminary rounds:
Lincoln Douglas Debate: Lindsey McNamara, William T. Dwyer
Congressional Debate-Senate: Riley Freese, Dreyfoos School of the Arts
US Extemporaneous: Michael Wang, Dreyfoos School of the Arts
US Extemporaneous: William Brodnar, Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches
International Extemporaneous: Jack Yan, Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Original Oratory: Matt Nadel, Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Dramatic Interpretation: Kella Merlain-Moffatt, Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches
Dramatic Interpretation: Ryan Gossling, Royal Palm Beach
In addition, Boca Raton was awarded a Debate School of Excellence award, and Dreyfoos School of the Arts a Speech School of Honor award!
And, of course, four district coaches earned new Diamond degrees: Phyllis Pacilli, Boca Raton (1st Diamond), Kristie Taylor, Jupiter (2nd Diamond), Paul Gaba, Wellington (3rd Diamond), and Traci Lowe, Suncoast (3rd Diamond)!
2016 FLORIDA FORENSIC LEAGUE NOVICE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP @ WELLINGTON HS:
Wellington High School hosted the 2016 Florida Forensic League Novice State Championship debate tournament Friday and Saturday. More than 650 competitors from across the state – some from as far away as the Panhandle – were in attendance, as were some 250 judges, 50 coaches, and around 50 Wellington Debate parents (headed this year by the power twins of Sue Ann McDaniel and Amy Yeackley) and volunteer students. Our volunteer parents and students busted their tails all weekend, helping solve numerous issues before they happened, and devising creative alternatives when they did occur, and all around making my life far less stressful than I have a right to enjoy.
Hosting a debate tournament isn’t easy, especially considering the coordination of classroom usage, providing meal options for 1,000 people, operation of a functioning judge lounge and concessions stand, and so much more. I have been blessed for 16 years as a coach with amazing parents who are able to take a monster project like this and make it come to fruition virtually without a hitch, from my days at South Fork High School and at Wellington. I am equally blessed to work with a phenomenal administration and staff, who let me take over the campus for nearly 36 hours to use around 100 classrooms, and a custodial staff which is vastly underpaid for the amount of work they put in making me look better than I am to my coaching peers.
Wellington has great success this weekend. Taylor Peterson was 4th in Declamation! Kalena Miles & Sophie Reuther were semi-finalists in Duo Interpretation! Taylor Peterson was a semi-finalist in Oral Interpretation! We earned seven new National Speech & Debate Association degrees: both Taylor Peterson and Scarlet Jasperson earned their Degree of Excellence (150+ points); Joseph Long, Anthony Marton, and Emma Yeackley each earned the Degree of Honor (75+ points) and varsity letters; and both Natalie Bellber and Derry Bryant earned the Degree of Merit (25+ points). Wellington’s degree strength for 2015-16 is now at 306, the first time in our history we have eclipsed 300 degrees on record in a single school year.
I am forever in debt to the amazing volunteers who helped make this weekend a success – in no particular order: Tina Slaughter, Karen Mangini, Katerina Mangini, Sharon Radcliff, Amy Yeackley, Dominique Kruisland, Phil Aikey, Gary and Bridget Schloss, Jackie Bernard, Claudia Kaye, Allison Jacobson, Cathy Negron, Scott Fairchild, Randi Clein Shane, Marianne Davis, and of course all the students of Wellington Debate who judged rounds, worked the concession stand, did ballot filing/running, assisted in the judge lounge, helped run meal lines, sold t-shirts, assisted in tab room, directed competitors and judges to classrooms, cleaned the campus, and helped in many other ways. If I missed anyone, I humbly apologize.
PBCFL NOVICE CHAMPIONSHIPS & FUNVITATIONAL @ BOCA RATON HS:
Wellington Debate took home two Palm Beach Catholic Forensic League Novice Championship Tournament at Boca Raton High School Saturday, April 2. Zachary Jacobson took top honors in Novice Dramatic Performance with his performance of Weird Al Yankovic’s epic “Trapped in the Drive-Thru,” while Matias Galguera & Manuel Hernandez went undefeated (6-0) in Novice Public Forum Debate. In Spontaneous Argumentation Debate, Caramen McDaniel placed second with a 4-1 record, while Chris Slaughter went 4-1 and took fourth. Mason Graham was seventh, going 3-2. In Novice Oral Interpretation, Taylor Peterson placed fourth, while Amaris Fairchild took fifth in Storytelling. Fairchild also surpassed 500 National Speech & Debate Association honor points, earning her Degree of Special Distinction.
2016 FLORIDA FORENSIC LEAGUE VARSITY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP @ WEKIVA HS, APOPKA:
The Public Forum Debate team of Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley advanced to octafinals at the 2016 Florida Forensic League Varsity State debate championship tournament.
FLORIDA OCEANFRONT NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION DISTRICT SPEECH AND DEBATE NATIONAL QUALIFIER @ INLET GROVE HS:
Three members of the Wellington Debate Team will be representing the @RedDawnDebaters in Salt Lake City this June at the 2016 National Speech & Debate Association National Championship.
The Public Forum Debate team of Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley went undefeated and earned the top seed and a return trip to the NSDA national championship. They will be joined by Victor Sanchez, who placed second in the Florida Oceanfront NSDA District’s Congressional Senate last month.
This past weekend, Victor was also named the first alternate in United States Extemporaneous Speaking, and Zachary Jacobson is first alternate in Informative Speaking.
PALM BEACH CATHOLIC FORENSIC LEAGUE GRAND NATIONAL QUALIFIER @ SUNCOAST HS:
Wellington Debate qualified eight students to represent WellyWorld at the 2016 NCFL CatNats over Memorial Day weekend! Tinquisha Shaw in Oral Interpretation, Victor Sanchez in Congressional Debate, both Eileen Wheelen and Zachary Jacobson in Dramatic Performance, and the Public Forum Debate teams of Sara Casey & Julie Cesta and Brandon Schloss & Chris Slaughter all qualified for nationals. Bennett Aikey is 1st Alternate in Congressional Debate, and Amaris Fairchild is 1st Alternate in Oral Interpretation!
{Victor Sanchez has already informed me that he will not be attending CatNats, and that Bennett Aikey will be representing Wellington and the PBCFL in his place.}
In addition, Wellington earned three more National Speech & Debate Association honor degrees, bringing its total for the year to 75, and its overall strength to 283. Earning new degrees were: Victor Sanchez, Degree of Premier Distinction (1,500+ points), Matias Galguera, Degree of Excellence (150+ points), and John Jaeger, Degree of Honor (75+ points). Sanchez became just the seventh student in Wellington history to surpass 1,500 points, and joins Caramen McDaniel (1,639) in surpassing the total this year.
LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC @ UPENN:
Wellington Debate represented the school and community proudly at the 2016 UPenn Liberty Bell Classic in Philadelphia last weekend. The Public Forum Debate team of Sara Casey and Julie Cesta went 4-2 in preliminary rounds and advanced to partial double octafinals, and both Mason Graham and Zachary Jacobson broke to semifinals in Congressional Debate. Jacobson also passed the 250-point plateau and earned his NSDA Degree of Distinction.
FLORIDA FORENSIC LEAGUE MACAW REGION STATE QUALIFIER @ PARK VISTA:
Ocean’s 11, meet Welly’s 11, since that’s how many Wolverine Debaters are heading to the state championship in Orlando next month!
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE: Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE: Brandon Schloss & Chris Slaughter
DUO INTERPRETATION: Kristina Davis & Scarlet Jasperson
GROUP INTERPRETATION: David Gold, Antoinette Gray, Gillian Kruisland, Casey Mangini, and Gabby Vivas
FIRST ALTERNATE ORAL INTERPRETATION: Tinquisha Shaw
SECOND ALTERNATE INTERNATIONAL EXTEMPORANEOUS: Basil Burke
PLUS, Kristina Davis earned her National Speech & Debate Association Degree of Honor (surpassing 75 points), just a few days after Caramen McDaniel earned her Degree of Premier Distinction (surpassing 1,500 points).
61ST BARKLEY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOLS @ EMORY UNIVERSITY:
Victor Sanchez placed 10th overall in Congressional Debate at the 2016 Barkley Forum. He placed third in both his preliminary chamber and semifinal round.
FORUM CLUB OF THE PALM BEACHES LUNCHEON:
Nineteen members of Wellington Speech and Debate were invited to hear United States Rep. Lois Frankel and United States Rep. Ted Deutch speak at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches luncheon in January 2016: Those in attendance were Basil Burke, Sara Casey, Julie Cesta, Britany Cho, Deborah Colimon, Amaris Fairchild, Matias Galguera, Mason Graham, Antoinette Gray, James Haripal, Manny Hernandez, Dallas Nickels, Emilie Rott, Victor Sanchez, Brandon Schloss, Tinquisha Shaw, Chris Slaughter, Jillian Vulpis, and Eileen Wheelen. The elected representatives were asked about the Every Student Succeeds Act and its viability in replacing No Child Left Behind as a federal education policy, and the future of the Affordable Care Act.
FLORIDA OCEANFRONT NSDA DISTRICT CONGRESS NATIONAL QUALIFIER @ PALM BEACH STATE COLLEGE, PALM BEACH GARDENS CAMPUS:
Advancing to the 2016 National Speech & Debate Association National Championship in Congressional Debate: Nathaniel Sweet (Boca Raton), Victor Sanchez (Wellington), Riley Freese (Dreyfoos School of the Arts), Taylor Rich (Dreyfoos School of the Arts), and Narrelle Gilchrist (Forest Hill). They join auto-qualifier Greg Seabrooks (Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches).
Reflections on a pretty damn good day:
I got home last night around 830pm after spending more than four hours trying to finalize today’s Florida Oceanfront NSDA District Congress national qualifier. Several last-minute student drops has cut us to our minimums in both the senate and collective house; we were at eight schools represented in the senate and 61 legislators in the house setup. One more drop would mean either losing one of three houses (and reducing the number we send to nationals out of the chambers from three to two) or losing the senate (and losing two potential national qualifiers). I went into today optimistic but overly concerned.
This morning, by 745am, it was clear that final drop wasn’t going to take place. What resulted is one of the smoothest tournaments I’ve ever been associated with. Both three-hour-long sessions went off on time. Due to inclement weather, we revamped our lunch plans, and instead of leaving the Palm Beach State College (Gardens campus) Classroom Building for the on-campus cafeteria, we ordered in 25 pizzas, went out to grab bottles of water, and kept things internal for competitors and judges alike.
Awards were done by 430pm, and our district is sending six amazing students to Salt Lake City this June in Congressional Debate.
I may be our district chair, but there is no way I could accomplish anything without an amazing group of fellow coaches and debate alumni in making today work as effectively as possible. Thanks to Traci Lowe, Angie Weber Anyzeski, David Childree, Bonnie Cohen, Phyllis Pacilli, Cindy Robinson, Ryan Wells, Justin Weaver, Jesus Caro, Megan West, Robert Knight, Richard Sena, Leah Carolan, PJ Samorian, Daryl Hall, Veneta Natasha Bahadoorsingh Gilchrist, Deena R. McNamara, Kevin McNamara, William Fetzko, Rachael Blum, Javy Mora, Sara Altschuler, Lonnie Martens, Cassidy Cresswell, and anyone else I may have missed in this commentary who made today a success.
Additional thanks to Trish Patty Gunnels Zenczak, Deano Pape, Lisa Vossekuil and Timothy E. Sheaff from the national office and Joy of Tournaments for your assistance, ideas, and listening ears. Hey, no frantic calls to Scott Wunn this year!
PBCFL @ PALM BEACH GARDENS:
Success at the final PBCFL “regular season” tourney of the year for your Wellington Debaters!
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE: Victor Sanchez, 1st Place
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE: Zachary Jacobson, 3rd Place
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE: Non-placing judge ranks earned by Deborah Colimon, Renard Gowie, Anthony Marton, and Jacob Pincus.
NOVICE ORAL INTERPRETATION: Taylor Peterson, 2nd Place
VARSITY ORAL INTERPRETATION: Caitland Notice, 4th Place
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE: Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley, 3rd Place
Wellington earned five additional National Speech & Debate Association degrees, bringing its total to 64 for the year and 277 overall. Earning new degrees: Caitland Notice (Excellence, 150+ honor points), Zachary Jacobson (Excellence), Kalena Miles (Honor, 75+ honor points), Taylor Peterson (Honor), and Mikayla Joseph (Merit, 25+ points).
2016 SUNVITATIONAL @ UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NSU:
The Public Forum Debate team of Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley advanced to double-octafinals at the 2016 Sunvitational, while Victor Sanchez broke to semifinals in Extemporaneous Speaking.
PBCFL @ PALM BEACH CENTRAL:
The Red Dawn Debaters took care of business in a good way today, as Wellington’s 40-strong crew took home a plethora of hardware and honors from the December PBCFL at Palm Beach Central High School.
In PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE, all five of Team Wellington were recognized. In VARSITY PFD, the team of Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley went 3-1 and placed second, the pair of Sara Casey & Julie Cesta went 3-1 and placed third, and the team of Brandon Schloss & Chris Slaughter went 3-1 and took fifth. In NOVICE PFD, Matias Galguera & Manuel Hernandez went 4-0 and took first-place honors, while Samantha Rodriguez & Stephanie Rodriguez went 3-1 and placed fifth.
In EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING, Victor Sanchez took top honors with straight first-place ranks in his four competition rounds.
In ORATORICAL DECLAMATION, Taylor Peterson placed second.
In DUO INTERPRETATION, two novice pairs eared accolades. Kalena Miles & Sophie Reuther placed fourth, while Kristina Davis & Scarlet Jasperson were sixth.
In CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE, Mason Graham placed second, Renard Gowie fourth, and Bennett Aikey fourth in their respective chambers. Karina Frandjian, Anthony Marton and Jacob Pincus also earned judge ranks.
Wellington added ten new National Speech and Debate Association degrees to its tally, making it 56 new degrees this year and 267 overall. Earning new degrees: Sara Casey (Special Distinction – 500+ honor points), Julie Cesta (Special Distinction), Brandon Schloss (Special Distinction); Manuel Hernandez (Excellence – 150+ honor points), Gabby Vivas (Excellence); and Matias Galguera (Honor – 75+ honor points), Scarlet Jasperson (Honor), Jacob Pincus (Honor), Sophie Reuther (Honor), and Tinquisha Shaw (Honor).
The tournament was followed with an afterglow and holiday party at Buffalo Wild Wings, where 30 debaters and parents congregated. A “white elephant” gift exchange took place, and Chris Slaughter defended his “Ugly Holiday Sweater” title.
PATRIOT GAMES INVITATIONAL @ GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY:
Victor Sanchez advanced to semifinals in Congressional Debate and quarterfinals in Extemporaneous Speaking at the 2015 GMU Patriot Games Invitational.
FALCON INVITATIONAL @ FLANAGAN HIGH SCHOOL:
FOUR FOR FOUR! A quartet of @RedDawnDebaters advanced to the Flanagan Falcon Invitational Super Congress! Victor Sanchez and Mason Graham in varsity, Manuel Hernandez and Dallas Nickels in novice! The final results: SECOND PLACE in Varsity Congress (Sanchez) and SECOND PLACE in Novice Congress (Hernandez)! PLUS – Three new NSDA degrees (Mason Graham, Special Distinction; Samantha Rodriguez, Honor; and Stephane Rodriguez, Honor)!
PBCFL @ OLYMPIC HEIGHTS:
Wonderful results out of the PBCFL @ Olympic Heights!
Novice Dramatic Performance: FIRST PLACE for Zachary Jacobson!
Congressional Debate: FIRST PLACE and BEST PRESIDING OFFICER for Victor Sanchez, who picket fenced the judges; FIFTH PLACE for Emilie Rott, who also won BEST PRESIDING OFFICER; sixth place for both Bennett Aikey and Renard Gowie!
Public Forum Debate: THIRD PLACE (with a 4-0 record) for Gillian Kruisland & Caramen McDaniel, and TENTH PLACE (with a 3-1 record) for Brandon Schloss & Connor Yeackley!
Duo Interpretation: FIFTH PLACE for Kalena Miles & Dallas Nickels, and NINTH PLACE for Samantha Rodriguez & Stephanie Rodriguez!
In addition, Wellington Debate earned five new National Speech & Debate Association degrees. Gillian Kruisland earned her Degree of Special Distinction (500+ honor points); Dallas Nickels and Emilie Rott both earned their Degree of Honor (75+ honor points); and Kristina Davis and Anthony Marton each earned their Degree of Merit (25+ honor points)!
TITAN INVITATIONAL @ NOVA HIGH SCHOOL:
Wellington’s Congressional Debate Crew had an excellent showing at the 2015 Titan Invitational. All four Wellington congressional students – Bennett Aikey, Matias Galguera, Manuel Hernandez, and Victor Sanchez – advanced to semifinals, with Sanchez advancing to the final round!
BLUE KEY INVITATIONAL @ UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA:
Victor Sanchez advanced to the semifinal round of Congressional Debate at the University of Florida’s Blue Key Invitational.
OCTOBER PBCFL @ PALM BEACH LAKES:
The lead-in to Wellington’s Homecoming dance Saturday night? Success at the October PBCFL hosted by Palm Beach Lakes during the day! Let me count the ways!
Public Forum Debate: FIRST PLACE for Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley (4-0 record)
Oral Interpretation: THIRD PLACE for Caitland Notice (ranks of 3-1-2-1)
Congressional Debate: SIXTH PLACE & BEST P.O. for Mason Graham
Congressional Debate: SIXTH PLACE for Manuel Hernandez
Extemporaneous Speaking: SIXTH PLACE for Victor Sanchez
Duo Interpretation: SIXTH PLACE for Gillian Kruisland & Gabby Vivas
Novice Duo Interpretation: EIGHTH PLACE for Samantha Rodriguez & Stephanie Rodriguez
Novice Duo Interpretation: NINTH PLACE for Maya Caldwell & Taylor Peterson
SEVEN NEW NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE ASSOCIATION DEGREES: Bennett Aikey (Excellence, 150+ honor points); Maya Caldwell (Merit, 25+); Kalena Miles (Merit); Sophie Reuther (Merit); Samantha Rodriguez (Merit); Stephanie Rodriguez (Merit); and Emma Yeackley (Merit). Wellington now has 27 new NSDA degrees so far this year.
CRESTIAN TRADITION @ CYPRESS BAY:
The @RedDawnDebaters’ Public Forum Team of Caramen McDaniel & Connor Yeackley advanced to double octafinals before dropping.
SEPTEMBER PBCFL @ MARTIN COUNTY:
The first PBCFL of Wellington Debate’s 2015-16 Championship Season is in the books, and what a day it was! Forty-seven @RedDawnDebaters (39 competitors, five varsity judges, three adults) traveled via charter bus to Martin County High School for an invasion of epic proportions, and when the dust settled, 17 members of Group WellyWorld had earned accolades.
FIRST PLACE: Victor Sanchez
SECOND PLACE: Manuel Hernandez, Zachary Jacobson, and Scarlet Jasperson
THIRD PLACE: Karina Frandjian
FOURTH PLACE: Stephanie Rodriguez and Jillian Vulpis
FIFTH PLACE: Sara Casey, Mason Graham and Rafaela St. Juste
SIXTH PLACE: Matias Galguera, Caramen McDaniel, Dallas Nickels, Caitland Notice, and Emilie Rott
CHAMBER’S CHOICE PRESIDING OFFICERS: Sara Casey, Mason Graham, Christopher Slaughter, and Eileen Wheelen
In addition, seven other Wellington debaters earned at least one judge rank: Bennett Aikey, Amaris Fairchild, Renard Gowie, James Haripal, Kalena Miles, Jacob Pincus, and Taylor Peterson.
With their results, Wellington earned five new National Speech & Debate Association honor society degrees. Renard Gowie earned his Degree of Excellence, surpassing the 150 honor point mark. Matias Galguera, Zachary Jacobson, Joseph Long, and Taylor Peterson each earned their Degree of Merit, joining Emilie Rott as first-year debaters who have earned their membership in the nation’s largest high school debate honor society. (Rott earned her Degree of Merit on Thursday during the Congressional Scrimmage.) Wellington has now earned 13 new NSDA degrees on the year.
YALE INVITATIONAL:
Victor Sanchez advanced to the semifinal round of Congressional Debate at the 2015 Yale Invitational.
BULLDOG INVITATIONAL @ BRADDOCK HS:
Wellington’s Victor Sanchez took first place overall in his Congressional Debate Senate as 15 of Wellington’s Red Dawn Debaters opened the 2015-16 Championship Season in fine fashion last weekend.
Sanchez was one of nine students legislators to compete at the 5th Annual Bulldog Invitational, hosted by G. Holmes Braddock High School on Saturday. Five of the legislators were first-year members of the Wolverines’ debate squad, Anthony Marton gave four speeches, leading the way, while Emilie Rott gave three speeches. Joe Long, James Haripal and Emma Yeackley also gave a speech in their first-ever high school debate competition.
Varsity member Karina Frandjian was 7th in her chamber. Both she and Eileen Wheelen acted as presiding officers in their respective chambers.
In Public Forum Debate, the team of Caramen McDaniel and Connor Yeackley went 4-1, losing in the fifth round and narrowly finishing out of the top six places. Julie Cesta and Sara Casey went 3-2 in their first PFD tournament.
McDaniel surpassed the 1,000 National Speech & Debate Association honor point mark, giving Wellington six degrees earned thus far this year.