The Hattiesburg High School Forensics team has had quite the year with debate championships around the state as well as the coveted Leading Chapter Award.
The HHS Forensics team was named the 2018 University of Mississippi Trent Lott Leadership Debate Champions in Oxford recently.
Twenty-two schools representing Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and New York competed at the event.
Senior Owen Sayre won the Lincoln Debate Championship with a perfect 8-0 record winning the title on a 3-0 decision in the final round against Christopher Columbus High School from Miami, Fla. He was also named the Top Speaker of the tournament.
This marked the second time in four years that Sayre has won the Lincoln Debate Championship, having claimed the title his sophomore year.
Senior Kelly Li, who was a finalist for the Dr. Barbara Lowe Excellence in Forensics award, received one of three superior ratings awarded in Congressional Debate.
Both Li and Sayre are Speech and Debate All-Americans who lead the HHS chapter of the National Speech and Debate Association with the highest degrees awarded by the organization.
Assistant Coach Jaylon Eashmond, former HHS Forensics team member, made his opening regional debut on the speech and debate circuit and accepted the Debate Sweepstakes championship trophy on behalf of Hattiesburg Forensics.
St. Andrews Saint’s Classic
Hattiesburg Forensics shined at the recent St. Andrew's Episcopal School Saint's Classic in Ridgeland, where 30 schools from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas were represented.
Senior Owen Sayre led the varsity attack with another undefeated performance in Lincoln Douglas debate winning the coveted silver championship trey. Junior Demetrius Harris led the novice charge winning the championship in Prose Interpretation. Junior Adonai Hill finished second place in Poetry Interpretation and sixth in Duo Interpretation with partner Amber Hill. Sisters Faith and Trinity Fountain, who compete as a team in Duo Interpretation, finished in third place.
State Honor
Hattiesburg Forensics earned the Leading Chapter Award in the Magnolia (MS) District.
This coveted honor, based on student participation throughout the school year, is the highest recognition a school can receive from the National Speech and Debate Association.
Only the top school in accumulated members and degrees per district earns this designation each year. This award reflects 399 members and degrees during the past five years.
