Westglades speech and debate team. {Brooke Pappas}
This past weekend, the Westglades Middle School Speech and Debate team took 46 students in grades 6–8 to compete at the Florida Forensics League (FFL) State Speech and Debate Tournament.
Held at Loggers Run Middle School in Boca Raton, the students faced top competitors from across the state.
Westglades students left with five State Champion titles along with numerous finalist placements across a range of events, according to Brooke Pappas, speech and debate teacher.
“I am beyond proud of our students and the extensive preparation, critical thinking, and confidence required to perform under pressure, especially at this level,” she said. “Our competitors demonstrated exceptional poise, resilience, and skill throughout the competition.”
This was the first year that 6th-grade students from Westglades attended the state tournament, with several advancing to the final rounds.
Westglades speech and debate team. {Brooke Pappas}
FFL State Tournament Results:
State Champions:
- Ira Kumar – Congress
- Melinda Guan – Lincoln-Douglas Debate
- Angelique Kramer – Dramatic Interpretation
- Ellen Salame – Declamation
- Alissa Erickson – Poetry
Finalists and Top Placements:
- Sahithya Gudegowda Muddurajaveera – 3rd, Congress
- Camryn Walker – 2nd, Dramatic Interpretation; 4th, Declamation
- Ayla Harper & Liv Sundquist – 3rd, Duo Interpretation
- Paisley Mena – 5th, Declamation
- Noam Dayan – 6th, Humorous Interpretation (6th Grade)
- Liam Salame – 6th, Impromptu
- Aarna Mishra – 2nd, Informative Speaking (6th Grade)
- Logan Hoffman – 5th, Informative Speaking
- Hannah Kosberg – 3rd, Poetry (6th Grade)
- Angela Abad Gietl – 2nd, Prose; 4th, Program Oral Interpretation
- Anya Brustur – 4th, Prose (6th Grade)
Yohan Mehta and Kairos Gonzalez were semi-finalists in Impromptu.
On Saturday, April 25, they will compete at the Broward MAST Champs at Coral Glades High School. In June, Pappas shared that they will be taking 19 students to compete at the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Richmond, VA.
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