Saturday, January 26, 2008

R-MA State Champions

In competing at one of the largest NFL Qualifying tournaments in the nation, in the nation’s largest District, R-MA came to the campus of Robinson High School and George Mason University loaded to bear and ready to take heads on January 25/26. Bear was found and heads taken, as R-MA took once again the Championship Cup for NFL States – the most competitive tournament in Virginia.


Following a long finals week and extensive practices, the R-MA Speech and Debate Team was ready for this long-awaited tournament. Not only was the state championship in the largest and most comprehensive state league in Virginia on the line, but – most importantly for the kids – the top three entries in each event gained their slot at NFL Nationals held this year in Las Vegas in June.

As Rev. Gregg is the State Chair and Tournament Director, for about two weeks before the tournament he was "up to my nethers in alligators" and really wasn’t able to devote the time in the second-half of the month as he was in the first-half to ensure that teams were working. Quoting Mr. Gregg, "This is where the sacrifice of Myers Park pays off– getting the extra rounds on the resolution and knowing the arguments. The rest, kids, is up to you and your desire. The ‘Screwing Around Light’ if off and the ‘Get Your Crap Together Light’ is on and blinking."

Ably helped by Captain Brennan Morris, the Public Forum teams were prepped and ran an incredible number of rounds. Returners Gigi Baughman and Martha Galewski, as well as other members of the team, stepped in to make sure that we would have solid PF representation at this tournament. Civil Disobedience was argued, counter-argued, and counter-counter argued over the month. Feet of files were filed in the appropriate continent – yes, Africa had been rebuilt and was better, stronger, faster than before – and rounds were prepped.

On a sad note, due to an overlooked infraction, one of our strong PF team members was restricted to campus. His partner, as a real step-up kinda guy, asked to be added into Lincoln Douglas Debate, though he had never debated this form of debate before, as well as went triple-entered in Foreign Extemp and Congress. But the student restricted really showed incredible amounts of character... coming in on Thursday afternoon and preparing the call-up team of Mangen and McCotter with his case and arguments, working with the team that would be taking his place. As Rev. Gregg put it, "I know of few adults who have the greatness of heart and solid character to show that kind of self-sacrifice. But that wasn’t the end of the work... Tommy woke up at 6:00 a.m. on Friday and was there, lugging boxes, crates, files, and luggage to the bus to see of his team. Of all my years of coaching, I have seldom seen such remarkable self-sacrifice in a student."

Loading the bus to the gills... bringing over 18 boxes of trophies, four printers, three laptops, boxes of ballots and forms, 12 huge file boxes of extemp, four cases of water, two cases of energy drinks, and three cases of food, flowpads, and pens... the R-MA Speech and Debate machine showed its full power at the tournament, taking home the State Championship for the fourth consecutive year, as well as The American Legion School of Excellence Award in Public Forum and Student Congress, the George Mason School of Excellence Award in Speech, the Cardinal Cup Champion for Large-School Sweepstakes, and – for the second time in only three years – the NFL Traveling Trophy.

Students saw huge successes at this tournament:
Brennan Morris, 1st in Foreign Extemp, 2nd in Oratory, 5th in the Senate (National Qualifier).
Valerie Pratt, 2nd in Public Forum, Semifinals in Domestic Extemp (National Qualifier).
Martha Galewski, 2nd in Domestic Extemp and 3rd in Oratory (Nationals Qualifier).
KC Mangen and Nora McCotter, 3rd in Public Forum (National Qualifier).
Max Ramundo, 3rd in Domestic Extemp (Nationals Qualifier).
Kaleb Gerber and Marianne Nell, 5th in Public Forum (National Qualifier).
Will Dungan, 5th in Foreign Extemp, Octofinals in LD Debate
Katie Hoptiak, Semifinals in Foreign Extemp and Quarterfinals in LD Debate.
Evan Pionkowski, Semifinals in Domestic Extemp and Quarterfinals in Public Forum.
Tyler Solley, Semifinals in Oratory
Gigi Baughman and Xing Zhang, Semifinals in Duo Interp