NSDA Debate Qualifiers & The Dowling Paradigm

The AVHS Forensics program has a big weekend with its debate team competing for a trip to nationals and the speech team traveling to Des Moines for a weekend tournament.  Both events turned out to be quite successful.

In debate, AVHS has three student who qualified for the 2016 NSDA Grand National Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah.  These students include seniors Sophia Ober and Claire Hoffa (who will be making her third trip to nationals, and junior John Boals. 

Claire Hoffa, John Boals and Sophia Ober

In speech, AVHS won the sweepstakes of the Dowling Paradigm in Des Moines Iowa.  Twenty-three students attended, of which seventeen of them advanced to semi finals, twelve to finals and four were named champion.  See detailed results below.

1st Place POI Cassie Edlund
1st Place Duo Lauren Trodahl and Clary Doty
1st Place Humorous Stephanie Kahle
1st Place Original Oratory Jane Michaelson
2nd Place Drama Cassie Edlund
2nd Place Prose Annabel Higgin-Houser
3rd Place Duo Stephanie Kahle and Moti Begna
3rd Place Original Oratory Moti Begna
4th Place POI Annebel Higgin-Houser
4th Place Duo Cassie Edlund and Trevor Taylor
5th Place Original Oratory Reese Johnson
5th Place Duo Felipe Escudero and Julie Manning

Semi Finalists included the following students:
Yassin Abasher
Arianna Rotty
Lauren Trodahl
Claire Doty
Julie Manning

AVHS JV / Novice State Debate

Congratulations to the AVHS Novice and JV Debate team on another banner finish at this year's MDTA JV/Novice State Tournament held this past weekend at Eagan High School on Dec. 4th & 5th. Apple Valley finished in 2nd place as a team! This is our best finish in several years at this tournament. Sophomores Kenan Anderson and Trinity Ek both won their semi-final rounds in JV Lincoln Douglas Debate, advancing them to the final round crowning both teammates State Champions in JV Lincoln Douglas Debate! Sophomore Cori Roberts finished as a quarter finalist and Ritvik Taran finished as an octa finalist in the JV division. Top speakers in JV LD were Trinity Ek placing 3rd, Kenan Anderson placing 4th, and Cori Roberts placing 10th. Freshman Serena Abraham also finished at the top in her division. Serena finished as the Novice State Champion in Lincoln Douglas Debate. Sophomore Hanna Clark finished as a quarter finalist in Novice LD as well. Top speakers in Novice LD was Hanna Clark placing 11th. In Public Forum, India Smith and partner Vanessa Weber finished as octa finalists and Abigail Brachio and Brandon Schellhaass finished as quarter finalists. Top speakers in Public Forum were Brandon Schellhaass placing 11th and Abigail Brachio placing 2nd in the Novice division as well as Zachary Hayes placing 10th in the JV division. Congratulations on an amazing finish to the JV/Novice Debate season!