The prestigious Grand National Tournament for the National Catholic Forensics League was held this past weekend in Chicago, and a contingent of the Apple Valley Speech and Debate team comprised of both seasoned seniors and sophomores put in performances to make themselves and their school proud. Special recognition is due to Julie Manning, who earned 5th place overall in the category of Declamation in just her sophomore year. Two other sophomores advanced to Quarterfinals: Teja Lawrence, also in Declamation, and Moti Begna in Original Oratory. A number of Apple Valley competitors advanced into the elimination rounds, including sophomore Stephanie Kahle in Dramatic Interpretation and senior Caroline Berg in Original Oratory. Three other Apple Valley speakers contributed noteworthy performances to be proud of despite not advancing. Sophomore Cassandra Edlund and senior Rebecca Crepeau in Dramatic Interpretation as well as Jordan Larson in Original Oratory all put forth incredible efforts in their final organized high school forensics tournament.
The Apple Valley debaters who competed at the National Tournament faced some of the toughest competition in the country, and although neither entry was able to advance into the elimination rounds, their achievements are worthy of our praise. In Public Forum, junior Margo Sanders and senior Andrea Aguilar came together to . Senior Lincoln-Douglas debater Maddy Ober contributed a and will hope to apply what she learned from this tournament at the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Kansas City in a few weeks. Joining Maddy in Kansas City will be fellow Lincoln-Douglas debater Claire Hoffa and speakers Moti Begna, Caroline Berg, and Stephanie Kahle. Please take the time to congratulate all of these participants on their stellar tournament, seasons, and careers, and wish them best of luck as they prepare for the final showdown in Kansas City!
