#poaksheg

[potomacdebateacademy]

Yale & Georgetown Day School Results

Considering that there were NOT one NOT two but THREE major competitions on the national circuit this weekend, the excitement in the air is still palpable!

Before we dive-in, some special recognition is due to the following students: 

Georgetown Day School (DC): Shout out to Grace L. & Katherine X. for winning the Championships round on a decisive 4-1 decision! Of the 7 teams that broke into Varsity Quarters, a whopping 5 teams belonged to Potomac Debate!

Yale: WOW! Our team walked away with not ONE but TWO gold bids. Congratulations to Ruth D. & Aaron T. who are now FULLY qualified for TOC with TWO GOLD BIDS, who also have an impressive bid rate of 100% for collecting TWO GOLD BIDS at TWO national circuit tournaments. Congratulations also to Chris T. & Cythnea W. for earning their first GOLD BID! We also want to congratulate Carson D. & Dillon M. for breaking into Triples! Finally, we want to recognize both Ruth D. and Andy D. who both placed in the top 10 Varsity Speakers out of MORE THAN 300 STUDENTS at Yale!

Now, for some comprehensive results 😊!!! 

Georgetown Day School - Varsity PF Debate 

Tournament Champions (FIRST PLACE)

Grace L. & Katherine X. 

Semi-Finalists (Top 4)

Edric L. (Maverick)

Mason L. & William Z. 

Quarter Finalists (Top 8)

Hali D. & Gloria L. 

Anand C. & Preston L. 

Speaker Awards

Edric L.: 3rd Place 

Anand C.: 4th Place 

Katherine X.: 6th Place 

Grace L.: 8th Place 

Preston L.: 9th Place 

Yale - Varsity PF Debate 

Octafinalists  (Top 16) 

Christopher T. & Cynthea W. 

Ruth D. & Aaron T. 

Triple Octafinalists (Top 48) 

Carson D. & Dillon M. 

Speaker Awards: 

Ruth D.: 7th Place

Andy D.: 9th Place

[potomacdebateacademy]

The 2020 Tournament of Champions

For the first time ever, TOC went online! 

Of course, it has been a logistical challenge to move everything online (from classes to mocks to tournaments, etc.) but I’m so pleased to see that our students did not have to miss out on this milestone. Indeed, TOC is the culmination of not only this season, but also previous ones. It’s the premiere event in all of high school debate, and we could not have been more proud of our students! 

So, I want to congratulate everyone for an incredible season and run at TOC. You are all what makes our team so great. And, this is not in reference to your debate skills or outcomes, but to just how wonderful you are as mentors, leaders, and teammates. I've always said that I believe what's most special about our team is our team culture and the great love that our students have for the activity of debate, the team, and each other. I truly hope that, beyond results, the experiences and lessons you have gained through this activity will stay with you.

Second, I want to recognize our seniors Joey, Kevin, and Vinay. You have been an incredible source of inspiration and pride for all of us. I know many opportunities and milestones have been unfairly robbed from you, but I am so very glad that TOC--though online--was something that you didn't have to miss. Thank you for serving as the team leaders. Whether it's been cheerleading teams through competitions, assisting as coaches, or sneakily finding baby pictures of people for the team instagram, y'all have significantly contributed to our team over the years and your presence will be sorely missed. 

Third, I also want to recognize the teams of Vinay and Navin, Allison and Bobby, Amanda and Johnathan, as well as Michelle and Jason, Danny and Junzhi for breaking/bubbling at TOC. Moreover, while I know not everyone ended up with the results/records that they wanted, you should be so proud of how far you have come. TOC is an extremely competitive pool. Every round is a battle against great teams. By qualifying, you are already a force to be reckoned with, and we are so proud of how each team performed with dedication and integrity.  

Fourth and most importantly, thank you to Coaches James, Mai, Ryan, and Sarah, as well as Assistant Coach Kevin for their tireless efforts throughout this entire weekend. We are so grateful to have so many wonderful mentors supporting our team. And, of course, thank you to our parents and judges who have always supported our team. 

More than ever, we are so incredibly grateful for this amazing team. You all are going change this world and set it ablaze!

[potomacdebateacademy]

A Historic Win at Harvard

Never has a team appeared in both MS and HS Final Rounds at Harvard...until POTOMAC did this year! 

Without further ado, here are this year’s amazing results:

Middle School PF (out of 100+ total entries and 200+ speakers) 1st Place Lily Peng & Alex Liu 1st Place Speaker Lily Peng 

JVPF (out of 250+ total entries and 500+ speakers) Triple Octa Finalists (Top 64) Kaden Chien & Raymond Ma Double Octa Finalists (Top 32) Ruth Dai & Sophia Shiu 16th Speaker Raymond Ma Varsity PF (out of ~400 total entries and ~800 speakers) Triples (Top 64) Navin Durbhakula & Vinay Durbhakula, Charles Liang & Evelyn Shue, Carina Guo & Jennifer Lin Finals (Top 2) 2nd Place Carter Tegen & Kevin Zeng WOW!

Special shout out also to Derek & Johnny, Eric & Lindsey, Angela & Nathan, Faith & Robert, Varun & Brandon, and Amanda & Johnathan in MS, Novice, JV, JV, and Varsity, and Varsity respectively for missing breaks by a hair!

Special special shout out to our lone maverick Stephen, who debated BY HIMSELF and still ended up with a winning record! What a champ!

I hope that everyone has had a chance to rest and reflect on an amazing weekend. Havard always hosts an eventful tournament full of intense competition and growth. This year was no exception. Suffice it to say that I am incredibly happy with our weekend and our team's direction. Parents, thank you for your time, effort and patience. Debates of this scale would not be possible without your presence and investment. Our conversations mean a lot to me, and your effort will mean the world for your student's education. 

Debaters, I truly think it's incredible that you can, and desire to, grapple with topics of this level of complexity. We had a great deal of people in NPF, JVPF, and MSPF who had only attended one or two tournaments previously. Additionally, this weekend I was constantly reminded that this team's real strength is its ability to look beyond trophies and W's and to focus on the bigger picture. Y'all are wonderful. 

Finally, to our coaches, y’all are the heart of our team. We wouldn’t be anywhere without your dedication and mentorship. To: Noah, Mai, Evans, Sarah, Ryan, Thomas, Ilana, Jon, Gaurav, Matthew, and Brian, we are so incredibly happy that you are all a part of the Potomac family!

Poaksheg forever!