Congratulations to Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) debate students for winning six state championship titles at the Florida Forensics League State Tournament.  The state championship competition took place March 4-5, 2017, in Gulf Breeze, Florida, and included more than 600 students from public and private high schools across the state.

In addition to winning the six championship titles, BCPS students ranked among the best in the state in numerous other categories. Taking top honors:

First Place Winners/State Champions: 

• Charles Flanagan High School (Original Oratory) – Neuteyshe Felizor 
• Charles Flanagan High School (Program of Oral Interpretation) – Jayley Halpern-Drock 
• Cypress Bay High School (Policy Debate)  - Roberto Fernandez and Reilly Markowitz 
• Nova High School (Extemporaneous Speaking) – Eleanor Bock
• Nova High School (Public Forum Debate) – Rafey Khan and Cornelia Fraser
• Western High School (Group Interpretation) – Kayla Terry, Sofia Paez, Rebecca Claudio, Monica Claudio, Sophie Ross and Mickenzie Donnelly

Additional Notable Accomplishments: 

• Charles Flanagan High School (Dramatic Interpretation) – David Rodriguez, Third Place
• Cypress Bay High School (Oral Interpretation) – Sterling Wertanzl , Second Place 
• Cypress Bay High School (Extemporaneous Speaking) – Brian Levy, Third Place
• Cypress Bay High School (Dramatic Interpretation) – Maya Hedrick, Fourth Place
• Cypress Bay High School (Extemporaneous Speaking) – Dylan Lyon, Fifth Place
• Fort Lauderdale High School (Public Forum Debate) – Kevin Hautigan and Danny Siegel, Second Place  
• Miramar High School (Program of Oral Interpretation) – Daliss Hicks, Sixth Place 
• Nova High School (Dramatic Interpretation) –  Christine Tao, Second Place 
• Nova High School (Humorous Interpretation) – Nick Grosso, Second Place  
• Nova High School (Humorous Interpretation) – Jacob Lieberman, Fourth Place 
• Nova High School (Congressional Debate) – Anthony Walton, Fifth Place
• Nova High School (Dramatic Interpretation) – Nick Grosso, Fifth Place 
• Nova High School (Humorous Interpretation) – Abigail Goldstein, Fifth Place
• Nova High School (Duo Interpretation) – Christine Tao and Amanda Berger, Sixth Place 
• West Broward High School (Duo Interpretation) – Preston Galban and Rock Navamuel, Seventh Place 
• Western High School (Duo Interpretation) – Jessica Laurence and Dylan Davis, Second Place 
• Western High School (Duo Interpretation) – Jared Hurwit and Josh Benbasat, Fourth Place
• Western High School (Congressional Debate) – Mohammad Naeem,  Fourth Place
• Western High School (Program of Oral Interpretation) – Brian Inerfeld, Fifth Place 
• Western High School (Extemporaneous Speaking) – Tam Pham, Fifth Place 
• Western High School (Humorous Interpretation) – Camille Tate, Sixth Place 

BCPS is proud to have the largest debate initiative in the country, with debate offered in every high school and middle school, and expanding among elementary schools.  Debate students will be sharing their incredible talents with the public during an upcoming event at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts during their Eunoia performance on March 27, 2017. Visit www.browardcenter.org/events/detail/broward-debate-2017  to learn more.