Harvard University

Two TDL member schools participated in the Harvard National High School Invitational Forensics Tournament held February 14th, 15th, and 16th at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard usually hosts one of the largest and most competitive fields in the country, and this year's tournament did not disappoint.

The Junior Varsity policy division featured a field of 84 teams representing 42 schools from 27 states. The Kempsville High School team of Jade Kreissler and Samuel Ross went 4-2 in preliminary competition and advanced to Double-Octofinals where they defeated Clear Lake (TX) on a 3-0 decision. In Octofinals, they dropped to Tampa Prep (FL) on a 3-0 decision.

The Varsity policy division featured a field of 114 teams representing 58 schools from 32 states. The Frank W. Cox High School and Kempsville High School hybrid team of Oliver Brass (Cox) and Adora Parker (Kempsville) went 5-2 in preliminary competition and advanced to Double-Octofinals where they dropped to Ft. Lauderdale (FL) on a 2-1 decision.

Kempsville and Cox were the only schools from Virginia to advance policy debaters to elimination rounds in the Varsity division and Kempsville was one of only six schools to advance policy debaters in both JV and Varsity.

First Colonial High School

Below are the results for the final Tidewater Debate League tournament of the 2008-2009 season held February 7th at First Colonial School in Virginia Beach.

Student Congress

1st Samantha Carter, Hickory

2nd Caroline Wulf, Princess Anne

3rd John Woolard, First Colonial

4th Joe Newton, Princess Anne

5th Marshele Bryant, Hickory

Novice Lincoln-Douglas

1st Shanice Gadfrey, Granby

2nd Drew Pinkston, Grassfield

3rd Adam White, Norview

4th Cole Kinsler, First Colonial

5th Eastin Johnson, Salem

Varsity Lincoln-Douglas

1st Mark Harris, First Colonial

2nd John Clifton, Southampton

3rd Kelsey Butler, Southampton

4th Edmund Saw, Smithfield

5th Erin Spivey, Southampton

Open Policy

1st Wes Bittner and Cari Rand, Cox

2nd Wes Hagedorn and Ryan Keep, First Colonial

3rd Jacob Bosley and Matt Gregus, Grassfield

4th Kristina McClowskey and Mariah Young, Great Bridge

5th Jade Kreissler and Tim Wigginton, Kempsville

Open Policy Speakers

1st Jade Kreissler, Kempsville

2nd Wes Bittner, Cox

3rd Wes Hagedorn, First Colonial

4th Ryan Keep, First Colonial

5th Jacob Bosley, Grassfield

Sweepstakes

1st First Colonial

2nd Southampton

3rd Grassfield

Pennsbury High School

Four Tidewater Debate League member schools competed at the Pennsbury Falcon Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament held January 30th and 31st at Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania.

In Student Congress, Tom Scott-Sharoni of Princess Anne High School took 2nd place and Krista O'Connell of Princess Anne took 3rd place. Caroline Wulf of Princess Anne advanced to the Super Session but did not place. Billy Annunziata, Rachel Brooks, Michelle Chen, Joseph Newton, and Ying Zhou, all of Princess Anne, did not not advance to the Super Session.

In Lincoln-Douglas debate, Mark Harris of First Colonial High School went 6-0 in preliminary competition and advanced to Octofinals where he defeated State College TL (Pennsylvania). In Quarterfinals, he defeated LaSalle WM (Pennsylvania). In Semifinals, he dropped to Baltimore City College GL (Maryland). Christina Kyriakides of Princess Anne High School went 4-2 in preliminary competition and advanced to Octofinals where she dropped to LaSalle WM. Clair Pickard of Princess Anne also went 4-2 in preliminary competition and advanced to Octofinals where she dropped to LaSalle SJ. Woojin Ra of Princess Anne went 3-3 in preliminary competition and did not advance to elimination rounds.

In Policy debate, the hybrid Frank W. Cox High School and Kempsville High School team of Oliver Brass (Cox) and Adora Parker (Kempsville) went 3-2 in preliminary competition and did not advance to elimination rounds. The Kempsville team of Jade Kreissler and Samuel Ross went 1-4 in preliminary competition and did not advance.

Princess Anne High School took 5th place in Debate Sweepstakes.