(Massillon, Ohio) – Thirteen Speech and Debate team students will represent Perry High School at Nationals.
Perry High School (PHS) competed in the Eastern Ohio National Speech & Debate Association (EONSDA) Big District Tournament on Feb. 15 and 16 at GlenOak High School. At the tournament, Perry’s team took first-place honors in the Speech Sweepstakes and Overall Team Sweepstakes after competing against teams from all over the Akron and Canton area.
As a result of the team’s success, 13 students will move on to the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament in Dallas, Texas, which will take place in June. This is the largest number of national qualifiers Perry’s team has ever had, breaking the previous record of 12 students set in 2004. The following students will travel to Texas to represent the PHS Speech & Debate Team: Taylor Anthony, Simon Bailey, Kail Boughman, James Condo, Nick Forchione, Jacob Hervey, Reid Kennedy, Abby King, Leah Moore, Lexy Nukes, Maya Polen, Vincent Throckmorton, and Drew Tyler.
According to Kathy Patron, the director of the PHS Speech & Debate program and PHS teacher, the team did an outstanding job at the tournament, showcasing their enthusiasm for debate and public speaking. “We are in awe of what our kids are able to accomplish on a weekly basis,” said Patron. “They inspire and motivate us every day!”
Several Perry students were big district tournament champions in one of the respective 11 categories, including Abby King and Drew Tyler in Duo Interpretation; James Condo in International Extemp; Lexy Nukes in Original Oratory; and Kail Boughman and Jacob Hervey in Public Forum Debate.
Other PHS students who were recognized for receiving top honors in their events included: Vincent Throckmorton, Taylor Anthony, Simon Bailey, Emma George, Leah Moore, Nick Forchione, Robert Hohman, Rebekah Stone, Isaac Abrego and Nick Loew, Katie Daugintis and Makena Talbot, Lincoln Warstler, Maya Polen and Reid Kennedy, Olivia Lane and Jacob Messman, and Ashley Cosgrave and Trang Pham.
Students who register for the competitive speech and debate class at PHS are automatically a part of the team. Currently, the team is made up of nearly 150 students. With the support and financial backing of the Perry Local Schools Board of Education, the team can register for select tournaments.
“We are so proud of the continued success of our Speech & Debate Team this year, who are having a fantastic season so far,” said Superintendent Scott Beatty. “In addition to our extraordinary students, we would like to thank the Perry Speech & Debate Booster Club parents and the coaches, who show a great deal of dedication to the students in this program. We look forward to rooting on our students at the national tournament in June.”
To support the PHS Speech and Debate team’s journey, follow the team on Twitter @phsspeechdebate