USN debaters claimed another championship at their first in-person tournament of the year at the Peach State Classic in Carrollton, Georgia. Congratulations to third-place speaker Madeline Shinohara ‘28, sixth-place speaker Eesha Nachnani ’28, and solo Varsity debater Charles Cook '27.
By Bill Wilson, HS Debate Coach
Eesha Nachnani ’28 and Madeline Shinohara ‘28 started the weekend strong, with preliminary wins over Johns Creek High School in Georgia, Alpharetta High School in Georgia, The Harpeth Hall School, and Montgomery Bell Academy. Their only prelim loss was to MBA. The girls then qualified for the quarterfinal bracket, where they got a rematch with the MBA duo who bested them in prelims. The girls won a decisive 3-0 victory over the MBA boys and finished the tournament as co-champions alongside pairings from Woodward Academy in Georgia, Alpharetta High School, and Northview High School in Georgia. Additionally, Madeline was recognized as the third-place speaker in the division, while Eesha claimed the sixth-place speaker award.
Varsity debater Charles Cook '27 persevered through a late drop by his partner and bravely ventured solo into a stacked varsity pool that included the second-ranked pairing in the nation from Northview High School in Georgia. Charles bested the C team from Northview and finished with a 1-3 record in prelims that were cut short by a server crash that froze the website used to tabulate the tournament.
The debaters will finish the semester with an online tournament hosted by Michigan State and Okemos High School in Michigan. Thanks for all of your support of these students.
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