La Salle Speech and Debate Earns A Gold Bid to the Tournament of Champions
Juniors Rhyen Hunt and Maddy Cahill from La Salle College Preparatory’s Speech and Debate team traveled to Yale to compete in the Yale Tournament from September 13-14, 2019. This is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year and also acts as a qualifying tournament, where only the top 16 finalists earn a bid.
“This is the first time that a La Salle debate team has ever gotten their Gold bid so early in the year, and I couldn’t be more proud of these Juniors, who are sure to make an impact on the National Circuit in the 2019-2020 school year,” noted Speech and Debate moderator Elizabeth Meerson. “Their work ethic, passion for critical arguments and focus on human rights-centered cases, is why I’m so proud to coach these young girls, who in their quest to learn and debate about important issues, are becoming truly well-rounded young women who embody the Lasallian core principles.”
Hunt and Cahill competed against 215 teams across the country and advanced to the top 16. Because of this, these young ladies have successfully acquired the first of two qualifying gold bids needed to compete in the Tournament of Champions round in the spring.
On the individual level, both debaters did exceptionally well. Competing against 430 speakers, Cahill placed 5th overall, while Hunt placed 54th overall.
The Speech and Debate team will compete in the Jack Howe Tournament later this month and in the Presentation Tournament in October, then hopes to travel to the Bronx Science Tournament in late October.
La Salle College Preparatory, 3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 351-8951 or visit www.lasallehs.org.
