Speech & Debate Team crowned state champs

The Upper St. Clair High School Speech & Debate Team captured its first ever Pennsylvania High School Speech League Championship on March 18, 2017, at Bloomsburg University.

“The team won its first ever PHSSL championship, had more students advance to the second day of competition than any other school that qualified for the tournament, and led District #3 (South Hills of Pittsburgh) to the district championship,” Ben Edwards, social studies teacher and team coach, said.

Overall, Upper St. Clair earned 177.5 points edging out North Allegheny Senior High School, which had 167.5 points, and Unionville High School trailing in third with 121. The USC Speech & Debate Team is coached by Mr. Edwards and Dave Watson, English teacher.

“This group of seniors have been team leaders since they were sophomores and have done more to shape the program and its success than any group in the history of the team,” Mr. Edwards said. “They definitely deserved to go out on top.”

The state tournament was comprised of 100 high schools and more than 600 students representing the PHSSL’s 15 districts across the commonwealth.

Upper St. Clair High School Speech & Debate individual results from the PHSSL Championship include:

Public Forum Debate

• Macey Kaplan and Arushi Kewalramani (2nd Place Overall)
• Jacob Lantzman and Yash Lahoti (T-3rd)

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Quarter-Finalists

• Raahema Durrani (T-5th; undefeated in prelims)
• Amna Amin (T-5th; undefeated in prelims)

Parliamentary Quarter-Finalists

• Neale Misquitta, Ethan Bowman, and Caleb Troughtzmantz (State Champions)
• Krisha Monpara, Abby Reimer, and Amanda Ross (T-5th; undefeated in prelims)
• Kristen Buckholt, Ava White, and Ariana Chiu (T-5th)

Impromptu Semi-Finalist

• Paul Abrams (8th)

Radio Quarter-Finalist

• Erik Warmbein (13th)

Commentary Finalist

• Rod Smith (State Champion)

Extemporaneous Semifinalist

• Alex Wolfe (8th)

Informative Oratory Finalist

• Vicki Wang (2nd Place Overall)

Prose Semi-Finalist

• Hashim Durrani (8th)

Humorous Interpretation Semi-Finalists

• Laura Lapham (9th)
• Allison Lento (8th)

Duo Semi-Finalists

• Anber Bhuiyan and Aya Dakroub (8th)

Dramatic Interpretation Finalist

• Wyatt Keating (2nd Place Overall)

Congress - House

• Daniel Speer, Presiding Officer & 4th Place Overall

 

Those who also qualified to compete at the PHSSL state championships, but did not advance include:

• Tyler Besselman, 13th in Congress - Senate (top 12 advanced)
• Charlize Goff, 14th in Poetry (top 12 advanced)
• Anvi Kumar and Harshini Sakthivel, 14th in Public Forum Debate (top 8 advanced)