The Academy of the Holy Cross Speech & Debate Team capped off an extraordinary inaugural season by competing at the National Speech & Debate Association National Championship Tournament in Richmond, Virginia—the most prestigious speech and debate competition in the country.

Six Holy Cross students earned the opportunity to compete alongside the nation's top performers, representing the Academy on a national stage and gaining valuable experience against some of the strongest competitors in the field.

National Championship Results

The Academy's World Schools Debate team, coached by Scott Carneal and comprised of Ema, Natalie, and students from three partner schools, advanced to a sixth knockout debate round. Competing against 210 teams from across the United States and around the world, the team finished with a 3-3 record and placed 70th overall. Notably, the team featured three ninth-grade students, one tenth-grade student, and one senior.

Individual competitors also delivered strong performances:

• Colleen finished tied for 60th place in Humorous Interpretation.
• Penny K. placed tied for 61st in Program Oral Interpretation and tied for 124th in Poetry.
• Kyra finished tied for 209th place in Impromptu Speaking, an event featuring more than 600 competitors.
• Skylar placed 123rd in Extemporaneous Commentary.

A Remarkable First Year

The national tournament marked the conclusion of a historic first season for the Academy's Speech & Debate program. In just its inaugural year, Holy Cross achieved a ranking of 15th out of 125 teams in the Chesapeake District, which includes schools from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware.

What makes this accomplishment even more impressive is that the rankings are traditionally based on points accumulated over a ten-year period. The Academy earned its place among the district's top programs in only one year of competition.

Congratulations to all of our Speech & Debate students and Coach Carneal on an exceptional season. We look forward to seeing the program continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.