News

The Durham Academy speech and debate program has had an eventful fall, with Upper Schoolers producing spectacular results over 12 virtual competitions. Through their collective efforts, DA has been named by the National Speech & Debate Association as one of the nation’s top 100 programs for the second straight year.
 

DA will complete the fall semester with five competitions in December. See the team’s results so far below.

NATIONAL SPEECH & DEBATE SEASON OPENER

• Kiersten Hackman ’24 was a semifinalist (top 60) in Congressional Debate.
• Lulu Burnside ’24 was a semifinalist (top 60) in Congressional Debate.
• Mayah Ding ‘23 was a semifinalist (top 60) in Congressional Debate.
• Bohan Gao ’24 was an octafinalist in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were the champions in Public Forum Debate.

YALE INVITATIONAL

• Asia Crowley ’22 took third place in Congressional Debate.
• Max Tendler ‘24 took second place in Original Oratory.
• Mukta Dharmapurikar ’22 was a semifinalist (top 12) in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Bohan Gao ’24 was a triple-octafinalist (top 64) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Robert Liu ’24 was an octafinalist (top 16) in JV Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Sachin Aggarwal ’24 was an octafinalist (top 16) in JV Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Ada Catherine Hays ‘23 and Veer Prakash ’23 were quad-octafinalists (top 128) in Public Forum Debate.
• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were double-octafinalists (top 32) in Public Forum Debate.
• Michael Hansen ‘24 and Alex Huang ‘24 were the runners-up in JV Public Forum Debate.
• Durham Academy took second place in Overall Sweepstakes.

PINECREST OPEN

• Eva Crowley ’25 took second place in Novice Congressional Debate.
• Izzi Gershon ‘22 took second place in Congressional Debate.
• Lulu Burnside ’24 was the champion in Congressional Debate.
• Stacey Kang ‘22 and Paul Wang ‘23 took third place in Public Forum Debate.
• Bohan Gao ’24 took fourth place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Zihan Gao ’25 took second place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Jacob Hornstein ’23 was the champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Elizabeth Wong ’23 took third place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Ava Claar ’24 took second place in Original Oratory.
• Durham Academy took third place in Overall Sweepstakes.

DUKE INVITATIONAL

• Taylor Winstead ‘24 was a finalist in Congressional Debate.
• Asia Crowley ’22 was a finalist in Congressional Debate.
• Elizabeth Wong ’23 took fifth place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Lily Zellman ’24 took fourth place in Humorous Interpretation.
• Abbey Kelley ’23 took sixth place in Informative Speaking.
• Max Tendler ’24 took sixth place in Original Oratory.
• Ava Claar ’24 was a semifinalist (top 12) in Original Oratory.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 was a semifinalist (top four) in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Robert Liu ’24 was a double-octafinalist (top 32) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Aadesh Anchaliya ’22 was an octafinalist (top 16) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Jacob Hornstein ’23 was an octafinalist (top 16) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• JP Dilweg ‘23 and Faith Hanson ’23 were octafinalists (top 16) in Public Forum Debate.
• Michael Hansen ‘24 and Alex Huang ‘24 were quarterfinalists (top eight) in Public Forum Debate.
• Pete Crowley ‘23 and Owen Brent-Levenstein ’23 were quarterfinalists (top eight) in Public Forum Debate.
• Ada Catherine Hays ‘23 and Veer Prakash ’23 were quarterfinalists (top eight) in Public Forum Debate.
• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were the champions in Public Forum Debate.
• Durham Academy took third place in Congress Sweepstakes.
• Durham Academy took second place in Debate Sweepstakes.
• Durham Academy took third place in Speech Sweepstakes.
• Durham Academy was the champion in Overall Sweepstakes.

DOGWOOD SPEECH & DEBATE LEAGUE QUALIFIER NO. 1

• Mayah Ding ’23 took third place in Congressional Debate.
• Anabel Gutierrez ’23 took fourth place in Congressional Debate.
• Lulu Burnside ’24 took fifth place in Congressional Debate.
• Kiersten Hackman ’24 was a finalist in Congressional Debate.
• Eva Crowley ’25 was the champion in Novice Congressional Debate.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 was an honorable mention in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Sachin Aggarwal ’24 took third place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Omar Pasha ’23 was an honorable mention in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• John McGowan ‘24 and Kai Wong ’24 took second place in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• Arya Kumar ’23 and Siri Oehler ’23 were honorable mentions in Public Forum Debate.
• Matthew Sun ’24 and Aamer Husain ’22 were honorable mentions in Public Forum Debate.
• Stacey Kang ‘22 and Paul Wang ’23 took second place in Public Forum Debate.
• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were the champions in Public Forum Debate.
• Ani Sukhija ’23 was the top speaker in Public Forum Debate.
• Elizabeth Wong ’23 took third place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Mukta Dharmapurikar ’22 was the champion in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Abbey Kelley ’23 took second place in Informative Speaking.
• Ava Claar ’24 took third place in Original Oratory.
• Max Tendler ’24 was the champion in Original Oratory.
• Durham Academy took second place in Overall Sweepstakes.

NEW YORK CITY INVITATIONAL AT THE BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE

• Ben Hodges ’24 was the champion in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 was the champion in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
   

DOGWOOD SPEECH & DEBATE LEAGUE QUALIFIER NO. 2

• Izzi Gershon ’22 was the champion in Congressional Debate.
• Lulu Burnside ’24 was the runner-up in Congressional Debate.
• Taylor Winstead ’24 took fifth place in Congressional Debate.
• Mayah Ding ’23 took sixth place in Congressional Debate.
• Mary Mungai ’22 was a finalist in Congressional Debate.
• Eva Crowley ’25 was a finalist in Congressional Debate.
• Taylor Winstead ’24 was the best novice in Congressional Debate.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 was the champion in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Sarah Muir ’24 was an honorable mention in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Bohan Gao ’24 was an honorable mention in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Shreya Rao ’25 and Chloe Wolf ’25 were honorable mentions in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• Hardit Bhutani ’25 and Ben Hodges ’24 took fifth place in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• John McGowan ’24 was the runner-up in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• Connor Ennis ’24 took sixth place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Connor Ennis ’24 was the best novice in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Aamer Husain ’22 took third place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Elizabeth Wong ’23 was the runner-up in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Abbey Kelley ’23 was the champion in Informative Speaking.
• Ava Claar ’24 took fifth place in Original Oratory.
• Max Tendler ’24 was the runner-up in Original Oratory.
• Durham Academy took second place in Overall Sweepstakes.

FLORIDA BLUE KEY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

• Mukta Dharmapurikar ’22 was a quarterfinalist (top 24) in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were octafinalists (top 16) in Public Forum Debate.
• Pete Crowley ‘23 and Owen Brent-Levenstein ’23 were octafinalists (top 16) in Public Forum Debate.
• Michael Hansen ‘24 and Alex Huang ’24 were octafinalists (top 16) in Public Forum Debate.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 was a semifinalist (top four) in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

APPLE VALLEY MINNEAPPLE

• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were octafinalists (top 16) in Public Forum Debate.
• Michael Hansen ‘24 and Alex Huang ’24 were triple-octafinalists (top 64) in Public Forum Debate.
• Aneesh Patkar ’25 was an octafinalist (top 16) in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 was a quarterfinalist (top eight) in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Lulu Burnside ’24 was a semifinalist (top 60) in Congressional Debate.

DOGWOOD SPEECH & DEBATE LEAGUE QUALIFIER NO. 3

• Lulu Burnside ’24 was the champion in Congressional Debate.
• Asia Crowley ’22 was the runner-up in Congressional Debate.
• Mary Mungai ’22 took third place in Congressional Debate.
• Anabel Gutierrez ’23 was a finalist (top 12) in Congressional Debate.
• Aneesh Patkar ’25 was an honorable mention in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• MacKenna Morris ’23 was the champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Jacob Hornstein ’23 took third place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Robert Liu ’24 took fifth place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Oliver Guan ’25 and Ben Hodges ’24 took second place in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• Pete Crowley ‘23 and Owen Brent-Levenstein ’23 were the champions in Public Forum Debate.
• Michael Hansen ‘24 and Alex Huang ’24 took second place in Public Forum Debate.
• Stacey Kang ‘22 and Paul Wang ’23 took fourth place in Public Forum Debate.
• Elizabeth Wong ’23 was the champion in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Connor Ennis ’24 took fifth place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Connor Ennis ’24 was the best novice in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Abbey Kelley ’23 took third place in Informative Speaking.
• Max Tendler ’24 took second place in Original Oratory.
• Durham Academy was the champion in Overall Sweepstakes.

ASHEVILLE COUGAR CLASSIC

• Taylor Winstead ’24 was the champion in JV Congressional Debate.
• Lulu Burnside ’24 was the champion in Congressional Debate.
• Priya Aggarwal ’25 took third place in JV Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
• Shreya Rao ’25 and Chloe Wolf ’25 took second place in JV Public Forum Debate.
• Neta Ariely ’24 and Dylan Chen ’24 took fourth place in JV Public Forum Debate.
• Matthew Sun ’24 and Rachel Pellom ’24 took sixth place in JV Public Forum Debate.

GLENBROOKS TOURNAMENT

• Oliver Guan ’25 and Ben Hodges ’24 were the champions in Novice Public Forum Debate.
• Ani Sukhija ‘23 and Teddy Wallen ’23 were triple-octafinalists (top 64) in Public Forum Debate.
• Mukta Dharmapurikar ’22 took third place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Elizabeth Wong ’23 was a quarterfinalist (top 24) in Extemporaneous Speaking.
• Asia Crowley ’22 was a semifinalist (top 60) in Congressional Debate.