Speech & Debate Teams Triumph

Left to right:  Christine Vo, Jeremiah Menslage and Russell Williams.

Student debate and speech teams from Spring Woods and Memorial high schools earned significant awards and honors in University Interscholastic League (UIL) regional and national-level competitions this year.

Two Spring Woods High students and a Memorial High debater returned from the UIL State Championships in Austin on May 25-26 with top awards in 5A and 6A competition, respectively.

Spring Woods High’s Christine Vo placed second statewide in the 5A Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking competition and Jeremiah Menslage placed fourth in the same event. Memorial’s Russell Williams finished second in the state in 6A competition’s Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Debate team coaches at the two high schools are Victoria Beard and Cecil Trent.

At a recent UIL competition, Memorial High’s Debate Team sent junior Russell Williams to the State Lincoln Douglas Debate. Williams placed second there.

Spring Woods HS Debate Team members

Spring Woods High’s Debate Team returned from UIL competition with three top student awards. Christine Vo, a junior, placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking. Sophomore Jeremiah Menslage placed third in Persuasive Speaking and senior Alberto Ortiz placed second in Informative Speaking.

Earlier this year, Spring Woods High’s Travis Boyd was second in Congressional Debate at the UIL State Meet held Jan. 14 in the Capitol Building in Austin. Spring Woods High was the only district school represented at this particular meet.

At the UIL Regional Meet held at Magnolia High School, Spring Woods High had one district champion and placed in the top three for UIL State in Extemporaneous Speaking. Other Spring Woods High Debate results from this year include:

• Churchill Speech and Debate Tournament. At this San Antonio meet in January, Spring Woods High placed seventh out of 60 high schools. Student award winners included Angel Ramirez, first place, in Original Oratory, and Christine Vo, 10th place, in Congressional Debate.

• Katy High School Speech and Debate Tournament. Three students qualified for state at this meet. They included Jacob Frech, second place, in Congressional Debate; Bharti Sharma, second place, Original Oratory; and Isaac Gallegos, second place, in Dramatic Interpretation.

• Annual Space City National Speech and Debate Association’s District Tournament. Spring Woods High qualified the most students for Nationals, which will be held in Dallas this June. The Tigers Team also won first place Sweepstakes in Congress and Speech for a fourth consecutive year. Student honors included: Valentina Rombado, 4th, and Bram Sebio-Brundage, 5th, in Humorous Interpretation; Valentina Rombado, 3rd place, and nationals qualified in Dramatic Interpretation; Christine Vo, 1st place, and Angel Ramirez, 3rd place, and both qualified for nationals in Original Oratory; Alberto Ortiz, 2nd place, and qualified for nationals, and Jeremiah Menslage, 4th place, in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking; Christine Vo, 1st place, and qualified for nationals in International Extemporaneous Speaking; and Rene Castillo and Angel Ramirez, 2nd place, and qualified for nationals in Duo Interpretation.