Speech and Debate Team Wins State Championship

The Hawken Speech & Debate Team has done it again, winning the team state championship at the 2021 Ohio Speech & Debate Association State Tournament. This is Hawken’s third state championship in the last six years.

Coach Bob Shurtz comments, “After second place finishes in 2018, 2019, and 2020, our third state championship was the perfect end to the challenging 2020-21 season! It took the hard work of all 58 of our state qualifiers as well as the leadership and hard work of all our team captains and coaches. Special congratulations to Molly Xiao ’21 on an individual state championship in International Extemporaneous Speaking, to Krishna Sanaka '21 on being individual state runner-up in United States Extemporaneous Speaking, and to our policy team of Mira Getrost ’21 and Valerie Laurianti '21 for individual state runners-up in Policy Debate.”
Huge congratulations go out to Coach Becca Marks - finalist in the 2021 Linda Miller Award for excellence in first five years of coaching and WINNER of the 2021 Equity and Inclusion Award for her DEIJ work with the OSDA. 
Congratulations are also in order for Hawken team members who were recognized at the Award's Ceremony (top 6 to 8 in their event):
Praveen Kumar '22 - 4th place in United States Extemporaneous Speaking  
Madi Wayt '21 and Krishna Mukunda '21 - Semifinalists (top 4) in Public Forum Debate
Alex Watson '21 and Claire Marrie '21 - Semifinalists (top 4) in Public Forum Debate  
Sasha Turner '23 and Mac McMillan '22 - Semifinalists (top 4) in Policy Debate
Raymond Tao '21 and Cassidy Feng '22 - Quarterfinalists (top 8) in Policy Debate  
Kadee Lui '22 - 6th place in Original Oratory  
Julien Benchek '23 and Mehul Lakhanpal '23 - Quarterfinalists (top 8) in Public Forum Debate  
 
We would also like to congratulate the rest of our students who advanced to elimination rounds at this year's tournament:
Abhi Chundru '23 - 9th place in Congressional Debate
Aniyah Nelson '21 - Semifinalist (top 12) in United States Extemporaneous Speaking
Wilson Ha '21 - Semifinalist (top 12) in Program of Oral Interpretation
Maya Rao '21 - Semifinalist (top 12) in Informative Speaking
Chelsea Liu '22 - Quarterfinalist (top 24) in International Extemporaneous Speaking
Jasmine Shone '23 - Quarterfinalist (top 24) in International Extemporaneous Speaking  
Sweta Balaji '21 - Quarterfinalist (top 24) in Informative Speaking
Jaylyn Tinker '21 - Quarterfinalist (top 24) in Original Oratory
Tim Toliver '23 - Quarterfinalist (top 24) in Declamation
Allie Dettelbach '21 - Octafinalist (top 16) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Soren Palencik '21 - Double-octafinalist (top 32) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Destynn Keuchel '22 - Double-octafinalist (top 32) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Ryan Si '23 - Double-octafinalist (top 32) in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Ben Cohen '21 and Adithya Kalyanam '21 - Octafinalists (top 16) in Public Forum Debate
Ishan Vyas '22 and Daniel van Heeckeren '22 - Double-octafinalists (top 32) in Public Forum Debate  
Stella Sommers '22 - Semifinalist (top 48) in Congressional Debate
Franny Connors '22 - Semifinalist (top 48) in Congressional Debate
Gavin Rourke '21 - Quarterfinalist (top 96) in Congressional Debate  
 
We are so proud of each of our 58 state qualifiers and the entire team of 100+ on this fantastic accomplishment!
 
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An independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school, toddler through grade 12

Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135 
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106

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