Speech & Debate: Eight Returning Champions Highlight 5A State Championships

AURORA – The 5A Speech and Debate State Championships are slated to be contested this Friday and Saturday at Overland High School. Throughout the two-day championship, six students will be looking to defend their titles from a year ago, while eight will be looking to win a gold medal for the second-straight year.

Cherokee Trail, Denver East and George Washington all return two champions, with Cherokee Trail’s Sarah Samal (Dramatic Interpretation) and Temiloluwa Bello (Lincoln Douglas Debate) returning, Denver East’s Fiona Macdonald (International Extemp. Speaking) and Rae Tatel (National Extemp Speaking) returning and George Washington’s Caroline Mabey (Policy Debate) and Lindsey Sieja (Informative Speaking) returning.

Rocky Mountain’s Jordan Meyer also returns after winning Program Oral Interpretation (will now compete in Duo Interpretation) and Denver School of the Arts’ Hayden Ferrandino returns after winning Public Forum Debate last year (will compete in Congressional Debate this year).

In total, 34 students return to the events they were finalists in a year ago, while 48 finalists are making a return trip to the state championships.

In National Extemp Speaking, all six finalists from last year will be back, with Tatel – the 2024 state champion – leading the way. Fairview’s Carder Squirrell finished second a year ago and was followed by Rocky Mountain’s Daniel Mitchell, Cherry Creek’s Anaha Prabhakaran and Brennan Brown, and Pine Creek’s Mabel Kim, respectively.

In International Extemp. Speaking, five finalists return, including Macdonald – the state champion from last year. Pine Creek’s Luke Chung took third, followed by George Washington’s Matthew Abrams, Overland’s Gyasi Cetshwayo and Grandview’s Valay Kelkar.

Four of the six finalists also return in Dramatic Interpretation, including state champion Samal. Regis Jesuit’s Brigid Smith took second last year, while Cherry Creek’s Ainsley Barton was fourth and Kent Denver’s Matida Von Cannon was sixth.

In Informative Speaking, Sieja returns after winning the state title and she’ll be challenged by Chaparral’s Emilee Appel, George Washington’s Tatum Lezotte and Denver East’s Mathilda Reiff, who finished third, fourth and sixth last year, respectively.

Three finalists return in Original Oratory, in Fairview’s Zach Nagel (3rd), Regis Jesuit’s Cadelaine Hausknecht (5th) and Denver East’s Norah Krause (6th), while George Washington’s Sam Holland (5th) and Eva Perak (6th) are the returners for Humorous Interpretation.

George Washington also returns Adin Kobrin-Brody and Mateo Pacheco to Duo Interpretation, after the duo took third last year, and Alison Pellet to Program Oral Interpretation, which she took second in last year.

In Poetry Interpretation, Rock Canyon’s Bianca (Rajah) Saju is the lone returning finalist as Denver East’s Zeca Pockross (2nd last year) and Regis Jesuit’s Madison Savage (5th) are in Drama Interpretation, and Denver East’s Moira Hagerty (6th) is in Duo Interpretation

Kent Denver’s Tanner Lindsey, who finished second in Public Forum Debate, will be in International Extemp now. Moving from Program Oral Interpretation, Cherry Creek’s Becky Gao (5th last year) and Mullen’s Jamilee Rodriguez Castillo (6th) are moving to Policy Debate and Poetry Interpretation, respectively.

Finally, in Congressional Debate, of the 20 finalists, five return to the category: Denver East’s Scout Chomas (5th last year), Rock Canyon’s Nadhi Naval (6th), Grandview’s Anish Cheruku (7th), Smoky Hill’s Elliott Kaganer (17th) and Cherry Creek’s Kartikey Mishra (19th). Five other finalists are moving to other categories, as Denver East’s Toby Penner (10th) and George Washington’s Diego Holguin (12th) and Maggie Duffy (14th) are now in Public Forum Debate, Loveland’s Abby Reiss (13th) is now in United States Extemp., and Loveland’s Rahzel Buffington (18th) is now in Poetry Interpretation.