Speech & Debate

Speech & Debate Results

US and MS team results for 2022

The National Speech & Debate Association National Tournament The top 3% of all Speech & Debate competitors in the country qualify for the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament. This year, PCDS qualified nine students:

Devan Amin ’23

Misha Ghafouri ’23 (2-time qualifier)

Sedona Korzay ’22

Sammy Marks ’22

Ria Mehta ’24

Jiya Mutyala ’25

McKinley Paltzik ’23 (3-time qualifier)

Sai Vadnerkar ’22 (3-time qualifier)

Yash Wadwekar ’22 (PCDS’s first-ever 4-time qualifier) The tournament hosts over 1,000 schools and nearly 5,000 competitors. Each event starts with approximately 250 competitors, before breaking to the top-60, top-30, top-14, and finally the top-six. The top-six competitors in each event represent the top-0.05% of the entire Speech & Debate community. This year, PCDS had two students make the top-six, earned a school award for the seventh-straight year, and earned our first-ever national championship. Team: Speech School of Excellence Top-20 in the Nation in Speech Events National Champion in International Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23 5th Place Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 10th Place Dramatic Interpretation: Yash Wadwekar ’22 Top-30 Program Oral Interpretation: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Top-30 Expository Speaking: Miranda Jarvis ’23, Jiya Mutyala ’25 AIA Division I State Tournament Team: 4th Place Overall Congressional Debate & Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Dramatic Interpretation Champion: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 Duo Interpretation Runners-Up: Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22 Impromptu Speaking Runner-Up: McKinley Paltzik ’23 Program Oral Interpretation Runner-Up: Misha Ghafouri ’23 3rd Place Original Oratory Finalist: Misha Ghafouri ’23 3rd Place Public Forum Debate Finalists: Sedona Korzay ’22, Sammy Marks ’22 5th Place Informative Speaking Finalist: Jiya Mutyala ’25 5th Place Original Oratory Finalist: Devan Amin ’23

Harvard National Tournament 4th Place Duo Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22 4th Place Program Oral Interpretation: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Dramatic Interpretation Semifinalist: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 15th Overall Speaker in Junior Varsity Public Forum: Braeden Allen ’25

Montgomery Bell Academy Extemporaneous Speaking Round Robin Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23

Tournament of Champions at University of Kentucky Extemporaneous Speaking Champion: McKinley Paltzik ’23

Hugh Downs School of Human Communication Invitational at Arizona State University 2nd Place Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 2nd Place Program Oral Interpretation: Misha Ghafouri ’23 3rd Place Original Oratory: Devan Amin ’23

Top: Right: National Champions on stage, including McKinley Paltzik ’23 (far left). Right: National Champion McKinley Paltzik ’23. Below: Sai Vadnerkar ’22

National Champion McKinley Paltzik ’23, Jiya Mutyala ’25, Coach Nick Klemp, Miranda Jarvis ’23, Michelle Hill, Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22, Misha Ghafouri ’23, Devan Amin ’23, Assistant Coach Sophia Corridan ’19

Scorpion Spectacular at Basis Peoria Team: 1st Place Small Entry Sweepstakes Original Oratory Champion: Misha Ghafouri ’23 Program Oral Interpretation Champion: Misha Ghafouri ’23 2nd Place Duo Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22, Yash Wadwekar ’22 2nd Place Extemporaneous Speaking: McKinley Paltzik ’23 3rd Place Duo Interpretation: Bijan Atri ’24, Miranda Jarvis ’23 3rd Place Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 3rd Place Original Oratory: Anaiya Patel ’24

Jackrabbit Jamboree at Mesa High School Public Forum Debate Champions: Sedona Korzay ’22, Sammy Marks ’22 3rd Place Informative Speaking: Jiya Mutyala ’25 NSDA Arizona District National Qualifier Team: 3rd Place Overall in Speech Events Original Oratory Champion: Devan Amin ’23 Program Oral Interpretation Champion: Misha Ghafouri ’23 2nd Place Dramatic Interpretation: Sai Vadnerkar ’22 3rd Place Informative Speaking: Jiya Mutyala ’25 3rd Place Public Forum Debate: Sedona Korzay ’22, Sammy Marks ’22

MIDDLE SCHOOL RESULTS

NSDA Middle School Nationals 5th Place Impromptu Speaking: Aaryan Wadwekar ’26 Top-12 Dramatic Interpretation Semifinalist: Tara Ghafouri ’27

Southern States Middle School Speech & Debate Championship Impromptu Speaking Champion: Aaryan Wadwekar ’26 2nd Place Dramatic Interpretation: Tara Ghafouri ’27 3rd Place Informative Speaking: Aya El Masry ’26