The Needham Speech and Debate Team stilled the winds of Chicago in its eloquence at the Grand National tournament in Chicago Memorial Day weekend. That performance was matched at the corn-drapped National Speech and Debate Tournament in Des Moines June 14-21.
Senior Talia Musmon earned third place in Oral Interpretation for her skill in prose and poetry reading. Senior Ben Fogler ranked seventh in Dramatic Performance, creating an exciting Sunday afternoon for their deep advancement into elimination rounds at the contest.
Both the senior duo interpretation team of Mia Maffeo and Anika Ray along with the peer team of Senior Emily Flanagan and sophomore Maggie Sharrard ranked in the top twenty-five of that event. This marks the second time during their careers that Maffeo and Ray have earned that accomplishment. Sophomore Miles Yountz scored in the top-twenty-five in oratorical declamation. At NSDA’s (formerly NFL) member of Team New England, Senior Jeremy Tsung ranked in tihe top thirty-five of World Style Debate for the second year in a row.
At the same tournament, sophomore Kalina Mihova dropped her ‘play-in’ to eliminations round in Big Questions Debate. Tsung did the same in Lincoln-Douglas Debate at NCFLs, while senior Gabe Pressman was last left off for elimination rounds in Congressional Debate during his second time at nationals.
Superior efforts were carried out by three time national qualifier Simon Shoemaker in original oratory, the second-time at nationals policy debate team of junior Matias Welch and senior Emma Zhang, second timer duo interper sophomore Madeleine Clark with first timer Zoe Berg, and senior Max Scott in Congressional Debate. Scot. also served as presiding officer. Most excellent efforts were also carried out by first time dramatic performer senior Mary Scott Dunn and junior duo interpret twins Caroline and Katherine Carlton.. Sophomore Sienna Tow in her first visit for nationals in oral interpretation showed how bright the Needham future rises. Coach PJ Wexler observed that Zhang had finished in the top seven in oratorical interp in 2024, and this marks the first time in a few years that a student has attended nationals in both speech and debate.
Judges for Needham included parent Sari Musmon, Tyler Bates, Jackson Carr, Greg Cunningham, Matt Friosi, and PJ Wexler and alum and coach Shayan Raza.
Wexler singled out the highly adept Needham speech and debate senior class for rocketing through a highly accomplished saga that will take ‘rockets’ to match, while observing the future's so bright, one has to wear shades.”
