Success in South Carolina!

This was a great tournament! There were 225 competitors in various categories of speech and two types of debate. Three looooong days of serious competition! Twelve hour days means: a lot of presentations for the students, lots of judging rounds, hall monitor slots, and facility checks for the parents. It also means very little sleep - lol! After all, we can always sleep when we get home :).

Kali did great! She qualified in three different categories. This means she gets to compete in those categories at the regional competition, to determine who advances on to nationals later this summer.

Her goal for the year was to break (qualify) in debate. That would mean advancing to the octo-final round, which narrows it down to the top 16 debaters in her field. Well, she did it!

Kali went immediately into another debate round, which she also won and advanced into the quarter final round.

Quarters narrows the playing field down to the top 8 debaters. Kali went straight into another debate round with a debater we love, and respect, and learn much from. She did a great job! Probably her hardest debate round ever. She didn't win this round though, and her opponent advanced on and by the end of the tournament, he finished in second place. Kali finished the debate competition in 5th place. She was thrilled with her rounds and was sooo happy for her friend/opponent who continued on to place second!

What a wonderful speech and debate family we have! The students are fierce competitors, but they are also each other's best cheerleaders! And when, as a parent, I compliment a student on a great round, normally what I get in return goes something like this: soli deo gloria!, to God be all the glory! To which I completely concur!