Needham Speech And Debate Delights at State Debate, Home Tournament , Brookline

Needham Speech and Debate solidly proclaimed ‘several successes’ at the State Debate Championship at Chelmsford High March 28, preceded by virtual rounds on March 27.

Junior Spencer Seidel was third in varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate, joined on this place on the stage by ninth grader Dan Choi in novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Sophomore Darin Mihov was fourth place overall speaker, also in novice. In the same division, sophomore Harrison Fox was fifth and ninth grader Luke Yountz ninth. Excellent performances were turned in by varsity LDers junior Casey Canzano and sophomore Ethan Bright, novice LDers Aarna Bhatt and Ethan Fox and the novice PF debate team of ninth graders Eli Borgos and Karan Krishnan.

Judging for Needham were students Dan Golmohammadi, Alex Gurchekov and Kevin Xu, parents Eric Borgos, Alan Canzano, Marina Mihov, Sandra Shefelbine, Marcus Yountz, and coaches Adam Nir and PJ Wexler. Wexler praised the ‘grit and perseverance’ of Harrison, Lucas and Spencer for ‘submarining’ the tournament, each losing their earliest rounds and coming back undefeated the rest of prelims to reach elimination rounds. Wexler said he was highly encouraged by the similar grit and strength ‘ both depth and breath’ of the nonadvancing Needham team, and that with no seniors competing ‘The future is is bright’- he also expressed gratitude to the team captains, not only the judging students (Gurchenkov both both Friday and Saturday) but also juniors Canzano and Seidel for multitasking in competing and helping novices. The team will next attend the state speech and congress champions April 11

Previously Needham celebrated hosting the annual “March Merryness’ Speech and Debate Tournament, hosting forty-six schools. Needham earned fourth placed overall sweeps despite most of the team helping to administer the tournament instead of competing.

The ninth grade duo team of Aimee Enejo and Juliet Robertson were reserve champions in duo.

Novice ninth grader Sabine Richmond was third overall and undefeated in varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Sophomore Vee Crider showed there were ‘Blueberries for Sal’ and trophies for her own mantlepiece with a fourth place finish in children’s literature. Crider with partner ninth grader Jeremy Coburn were sixth in duo, just behind teammates Alina Belekian and Leah Liao who ranked sixth. The triple entered Crider was also fifth in mixed duo. Junior Aylan-Ryann Thompson sales pitched luminously on the way to a fifth place finish in sales impromptu.

Ninth grader Tyler Nuesns was fourth place speaker and sophomore Darin Mihov fifth place speaker in novice LD.

State bids were earned in varsity LD by sophomore Ethan Bright and ninth grader Luke Yountz, and novice LD by ninth graders Dylan Jewkes and Nunes.along with Harrison Fox, Jai Kandadai, and Mihov, In Declamation, ninth graders Dhanya Deo and Alice Walters along with sophomore Navinia Sujit earned state bonds. Ninth grader Zirui Wang earned the same bid in varsity extemp.

At Brookline HS March 7, Needham Speech and debat ‘had a ball’ at the Brookline Ball

The duo team of Zoe Berg and Madeleine Clark took first place, with the double-entered Clark celebrating her return to impromptu speaking with a reserve championship. Junior Veneezah Khan scored first place in children’s literature and sophomore Vee Crider did the same in novice oral interpretation. Junior Sienna Tow was reserve champion in poetry reading and fourth place in prose. Orator success was addressed by juniors Ayla-Ryann Thompson and Maggie Sharrard who were fourth and sixth in turn. Ninth Grader Zirui Wang earned ‘top novice’ in extemporaneous speaking

In debate, junior Maddy Weirup legislated her way to fourth place in Congressional Debate. Ninth graders Daniel Choi and Dylan Jewkes in her debating debut were fifth and seventh overall in turn. Sixth and eighth place speaking awards were earned by ninth graders Aarna Bhatt and Choi. Berg earned a state bid in prose in addition to the others.

Strong performances were turned in by novice debaters, including sophomore Darin Mihov and ninth grader Peter Shin. In speech, respect was earned by kiddie lit reader Crider, sophomore declamation expert Nivina Sujit, dramatic performer Khan, impromptu speakers Crider and Sharrard, and poetry/prose reader sophomore Valentina Welch.

Judging for Needham were senior captains Alex Gurchenkov and Lulu Wang, junior captain Gemma Nauyokas, parents Amanda and Christopher Weirup, and coaches Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, Greg Cunninham, and PJ Wexler.

Strong performances by LD debaters sophomore Ethan Fox, Frederick Goodman and novice ninth graders Aarna Bhatt and Dan Choi. Public Forum debaters Eli Borgos and Karan Krishnan replicated that feat. In speech, declamation dynamos Audrey Burke, Tessa Webb , impromptu speaker debuter Ashley Cohen, prose/poetry reader PJ Murray and Coburn in freeze improv.