TSTDC continues success at National tourney

Desert Vista traveled to Birmingham, Alabama to attend the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship Tournament, which is the largest academic competition in the world.  The Thunder competed against over 3,250 students representing over 1000 schools from all 50 states. Just reaching the National Championship Tournament is impressive as over 15,000 students from over 3,500 schools attempt to qualify for the honor of representing their school against the top speakers in the country. For the fourth time in five years Desert Vista finished as one of the top ten teams in the United States, winning a School of Outstanding Distinction Award! While the National Speech and Debate Association does not release the total number of points or the placing for the top ten schools, if they did Desert Vista would have been the eighth best speech and debate team in the country. Desert Vista is one of only five schools in the United States to win the School of Outstanding Distinction Award four times. Here are our results:

2017 National Speech and Debate Association Top Ten Teams (Schools of Outstanding Distinction)

  1. Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) – 118 points

  2. Lakeville North High School (Minnesota) – 98 points

  3. Eagan High School (Minnesota) – 84 points

  4. Cypress Bay High School (Florida) – 84 points

  5. Plano West High School (Texas) – 82 points

  6. Western High School (Florida) – 78 points

  7. Nova High School (Florida) – 78 points

  8. Desert Vista High School (Arizona) – 74 points

  9. Archbishop Mitty (California) – 72 points

  10. Bellarmine College Prep (California) – 70 points

Desert Vista Individual Results

Alex Wakefield, Congressional Debate – 6th place in the United States

Taylor Gilliam, Program Oral Interpretation – 9th place in the United States

Bronwyn Doebbeling and Elise Lange, Duo Interpretation – Top 30 in the United States

Lucas Selby and Raquel Willert, Duo Interpretation – Top 60 in the United States

Erica Lane, Congressional Debate – Top 60 in the United States

Sarah Jalaghi, Original Oratory – Top 60 in the United States

Ethan Fiber and Margaret Braun, Public Forum Debate – Top 60 in the United States

Johanna Crowl and Aashney Shah, Public Forum Debate – Top 60 in the United States

Dylan Ketcham, Dramatic Interpretation – Top 70 in the United States

Kayley Maro, Original Oratory – Top 150 in the United States

Hanna Dawson, Humorous Interpretation – Top 150 in the United States

Charley Hoang and Isaac Quah, Policy Debate – Top 150 in the United States

In addition to Desert Vista’s success TUHSD was well represented by Mr. Tim Cornwell and McClintock High School. The Charger’s Michael Bernard placed 7th in the United States in Dramatic Interpretation.