Ravenwood, Brentwood Students Headed to National Tournament

Published March 10, 2017

Congratulations are in order for some of the district’s top speakers.

Students from Ravenwood High and Brentwood High will travel to Birmingham, Alabama, for the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament this summer following their performance at the state national qualifying tournament March 4.

The RHS team is coached by Elise Dirkes-Jacks and Brian Kaufman. The BHS team is coached by Harriet Medlin, Matt Grimes and Bette Lordeman.

As the tournament began March 3, a representative from the Tennessee General Assembly was on hand to read a resolution commemorating March 3 as National Speech and Debate Education Day. Tennessee is one of the few states in the nation to recognize this special day, which is designed to recognize the teachers and students who are involved in speech and debate education.

Congratulations to the following students who placed at the Tennessee NSDA National Qualifying Tournament and advanced to nationals:

Public Forum and Debate

First place: Adam Novak and Sudeep Ghantasala, Ravenwood High
Second place: Preston Johnston and Riya Jain, Ravenwood High
Third place: Shreyas Kumar and Harry Westbrook, Brentwood High (alternates)

Extemporaneous Speaking (International Topics)

First place: Preston Johnston, Ravenwood High

Extemporaneous Speaking (Domestic Topics)

First place: Andrew Brown, Brentwood High

Humorous Interpretation

Third place: Sam Anctil, Ravenwood High
Fourth place: Carson Schlem, Brentwood High (alternate)

Tennessee District Student of the Year

Preston Johnston, Ravenwood High

TN NSDA Debate Sweepstakes Award

Ravenwood High

TN NSDA District Sweepstakes Trophy

Ravenwood High