The Speech and Debate team continued its success this year when it participated in a competition held last weekend at Columbia University in New York City. The group of 19 students competed against nearly 100 squads from prep and private schools in the Northeast, finishing fourth overall in Team Sweepstakes.

Whitman also had multiple individual achievements. The team of seniors Bruno Vellosso and Richard Scordato were the number one seed and placed second out of 81 teams in the  competitive Public Forum field. Juniors Daniel Imas, Alex Zimmermann and Marshall Thompson were declared co-champions in their field, finishing first, second and third out of 96 top Varsity Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debaters.

In addition, nine LD debaters, including Imas, Zimmermann and Thompson, have qualified to participate in the Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky, setting the national record.

“The team continued to show why it’s the best not only in the region, but also in the nation,” debate coach and history teacher Colin O’Brien said. “The success is a testament to how deep the team is and its national caliber. I’m really proud.”