Our debaters were extraordinarily successful at McGill University’s 53rd annual High School debating tournament this weekend.
This is the largest debating tournament in North America with 200 high school debaters from Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia taking part (and most years, including teams from the United States and British Columbia).
Individually, Rory Flynn, Gr. 9, was 1st overall, Mattea Roach, Gr. 10, placed 3rd and Sabrina Secord, Gr. 11, was 11th (out of 200). So far as we can determine, Rory is the first junior high student to win the tournament in the 53 years it has been running. You can imagine the difficulty a grade 9 student encounters in besting a mostly grade 11 and grade 12 field, with many more years of debate experience (and some significant additional education).
Previous individual Sacred Heart winners include Andrew Morrison (twice) (2008, 2009), Sophie MacIntyre (2005) and Neesha Rao (2003). Andrew won it in grade 11 and grade 12 — all of our other winners were grade 12 students. Deirdre Casey and Allison Ghosn are our only winners of the McGill Team trophy for top team (also as grade 12 students).
In addition to the individual finishes, Sabrina and Mattea placed 7th as a team (out of 96); Rory and her partner, Anya Friesen, Gr. 9, were 14th overall and Sebastian Young, Gr. 11, and Alexander Sapp, Gr. 11, placed 15th as a team. These are outstanding finishes in the toughest debating competition in the country.
In addition, Rory won the award for best junior high debater in Canada, and Anya and she won the team award for best junior high team.
Although only 24 of the 200 debaters were from Nova Scotia, this marks the 8th year in a row the top honours have gone to a debater from Halifax. Sacred Heart and Fountain Academy students have won the award 5 times in the last ten years – as often as every other school in North America put together.
16 students from Fountain Academy and Sacred Heart High School attended this weekend many with fine finishes which are otherwise overshadowed. We recognize Tina Kim, Basia Sowinski-Banfield, Erin Palmater, Caraid McGinty, Catherine Burke, Maria Churbaji, Jake Marchand, Andy Samman, Robert Sapp and Michael MacGregor. Any other year I would be writing about their accomplishments.
Our thanks to Maya Churbaji who drove one of the vans, and to Alison Gillan, Mike Flynn, Aileen McGinty, Patricia Donnelly and Brian Casey who chaperoned our debaters in Montreal.
