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HHS Debate Team Begins Season with Impressive Wins

This year is shaping into one of the strongest the Harrison High School Debate Team has had, with 15 bids to the Tournament of Champions and 10 tournaments wins so far this season. 

Harrison High School senior, Giovanni Cutri, won the 2020 Glenbrooks Speech & Debate Tournament, a national championship usually held outside Chicago but held virtually this year. Giovanni placed 1st out of 180 debaters from 20 states and is the first Harrison debater to win this tournament since 2013. In the debate community, this tournament is generally considered the most difficult of the season, so winning it is a significant accomplishment. Giovanni also was the Varsity Champion at the 2020 Princeton University Classic Tournament, a national competition of 112 varsity Lincoln-Douglas debaters from 19 states.

Junior Ali Ahmad, won the varsity division of Apple Valley High School's national championship, and sophomore, Jessie Pein, won the junior varsity division. This virtual tournament, usually held in Minnesota, featured 173 varsity and 58 JV debaters from over 18 states around the country. A Harrison debater last won the varsity division in 2013, and had never won the JV division prior to this year.

DEBATE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

VARSITY CHAMPIONSHIP: Princeton University Classic Tournament - national competition – Giovanni Cutri

VARSITY CHAMPIONSHIP: The Glenbrooks Speech & Debate Tournament - national championship (180 varsity Lincoln-Douglas debaters from 20 states) - Giovanni Cutri

VARSITY CHAMPIONSHIP: Apple Valley High School's 2020 MinneApple Debate Tournament - national championship -  Ali Ahmad

JV CHAMPIONSHIP: Apple Valley's MinneApple Debate Tournament - national championship (58 JV LD debaters from 18+ states) - Jessie Pein

VARSITY CO-CHAMPIONSHIP:  Byram Hills - regional championship -  Top two debaters both from Harrison - Anthony Kang & Mai Blaustein

JV CHAMPIONSHIP: Yale University - National Championship -  Jessie Pein

VARSITY CHAMPIONSHIP: Holy Cross National Championship - Rebecca Anderson

VARSITY CO-CHAMPIONSHIP:  August Democratize Debate Tournament - Top two debaters both from Harrison - Giovanni Cutri & Rebecca Anderson

VARSITY CHAMPIONSHIP:  Quarantine Classic - online national tournament -  Rebecca Anderson

VARSITY CO-CHAMPIONSHIP:  June Democratize Debate Tournament  - Top two debaters are both from Harrison - Giovanni Cutri & Sonali Nicola

OTHER NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Harrison debaters have earned 15 qualifying bids to the Tournament of Champions this year 

Harrison debaters are currently ranked #1 (Giovanni Cutri), #3 (Rebecca Anderson), #5 (Ali Ahmad), #16 (Molly Ryan), #17 (Sonali Nicola), and #22 (Anthony Kang) nationally by the National Speech and Debate Association

Harrison debaters are currently ranked #1 (Giovanni Cutri), #2 (Rebecca Anderson), #3 (Ali Ahmad), #4 (Molly Ryan), #5 (Sonali Nicola), #6 (Anthony Kang), #11 (Annie Chen), #12 (Lizzie Murno), #13 (Mai Blaustein), and #14 (Jessie Pein) in New York State by the National Speech and Debate Association

Harrison debaters have been top speaker at 5 tournaments this year (Ali Ahmad: top speaker at Apple Valley; Rebecca Anderson: top speaker at Grapevine and at the Quarantine Classic; Giovanni Cutri: top speaker at the two Democratize Debate tournaments)