A RIGOROUS CONTEST THAT THOROUGHLY CHALLEnGES STUDENTS' DEBATE SKILLS
The National Civics and Debate Championship is a rigorous contest that thoroughly challenges students' knowledge, debate skills and endurance. While most conventional debate tournaments require students to compete in only one event, this event, the first and only of its kind, requires students to compete in different debate events on each of three tournament days.
A TRIATHLON EVENT
Congressional
Debate
IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
EXTEMPORANEOUS DEBATE
The Great Debate: The National Civics and Debate Championship
Held November 10 -12, 2023
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This event offered a unique competitive experience where students must compete in a different event each of the three days of the competition to demonstrate the breadth of their civics knowledge and the diversity of their communications skills. The tournament culminated in a special awards ceremony.
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All middle and high school students NATIONWIDE were invited to attend. There will be a middle school division and an open high school division.
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2023 WINNERS
HIGH SCHOOL
OVERALL CHAMPION
Saaya Lijo - Apopka High School, Apopka
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2ND PLACE
Christian Bailey - Fort Walton Beach High School, Fort Walton Beach
3RD PLACE
Jonathan Adler - Coral Academy of Science, Las Vegas, Nevada
4TH PLACE
Katelyn Ryan - Aberdeen Central High School, Aberdeen South Dakota
5TH PLACE
Will Waller - Samuel W Wolfson High School, Jacksonville
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
OVERALL CHAMPION
Ann Moywaywa - Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
2ND PLACE
Natalie Sierra - iPrep Academy North, Miami
3RD PLACE
Truitt Williams - South Sumter Middle School, Webster
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4TH PLACE
Gerardo Cardoso - Wildwood Middle School, Wildwood
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5TH PLACE
Jorge Herrera - iPrep Academy North, Miami
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INSPIRING COACHES
Melissa Gordon - Lake Buena Vista High School, Orlando
Derek Antoniazzi - Lake Nona High School, Orlando
Cathy Brown - Apopka High School, Apopka
These awards will honor three of our coaches who helped develop the skills of the students competing in The Great Debate. These three coaches were nominated by their students.
THE FREEDOM CUP
Wesley Liu - Pacific Bay Christian School, Pacifica, California
The freedom cup is awarded to one student who exemplifies great citizenship.​
congressional debate CHAMPION - high school
Ewa Tryniszewski - Wellington Community High School, Wellington
Extemporaneous debate CHAMPION - high schooL
Esly Villeda Castillo - Wildwood High School, Wildwood
Impromptu speaking CHAMPION - high schooL
Will Waller - Samuel W. Wolfson High School, Jacksonville
congressional debate CHAMPION - Middle school
Ann Moywaywa - Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
Extemporaneous debate CHAMPION - Middle schooL
Ann Moywaywa - Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
Impromptu speaking CHAMPION - Middle schooL
Ann Moywaywa - Abraham Lincoln Middle School, Gainesville
congressional debate
high school winners
2nd Place - Hunter Hayes
3rd Place - Vedha Ubale
4th Place - Samuel Nuebel
5th Place - Savannah Sisk
6th Place - Saaya Lijo
co-7th Place - Tyler Breeden
co-7th Place - Tanmay Mahani
9th Place - Joseph Alonso
10th Place - Noah De Haan
11th Place - Amaya Sheftal
12th Place - Abdul-Aziz Khanfar
13th Place - Sven Stumbauer
14th Place - Isel Neira
15th Place - Adhithiya Balamurugan
Impromptu speaking
high school winners
2nd Place - Vaughn VanDyck
3rd Place - Bryson Frick
4th Place - Ayla Geoghegan
5th Place - Peter Mowaywa
6th Place - Elizabeth Grounds
7th Place - Saaya Lijo
8th Place - Katelyn Ryan
9th Place - Christian Bailey
10th Place - Lucia Bronfman
11th Place - William Kiker
12th Place - Tristan Rodriguez
13th Place - Brandon Greenburg
14th Place - Ivan Goponenko
15th Place - Sven Stumbauer
Extemporaneous debate
MIddle school winners
2nd Place - Nathan Moronta
3rd Place - Michael Huan
4th Place - Truitt Williams
5th Place - Krupa Augstin
6th Place - Pierra Lascaze
7th Place - Logan Wu
8th Place - Henry Palmer
9th Place - Natalie Sierra
10th Place - Jalen Zheng
11th Place - Ella Marsala
12th Place - Nashaly Soto
13th Place - Elisah Stanton
14th Place - Chase Brown
15th Place - Gerardo Cardoso
extemporaneous debate
high school winners
2nd Place - Saaya Lijo
3rd Place - Colton Collins
4th Place - Jonathan Adler
5th Place - Abdul-Aziz Khanfar
6th Place - Adhithiya Balamurugan
7th Place - Cole Rewis
8th Place - Christian Bailey
9th Place - Martin Allen Seals
10th Place - Eva Barrett
11th Place - Katelun Ryan
12th Place - Rylan Johnson
13th Place - Lucia Bronfman
14th Place - Will Waller
15th Place - Liz Cowart
congressional debate
Middle school winners
2nd Place - Truitt Williams
3rd Place - Ty Mack
4th Place - Gerardo Cardoso
5th Place - Pierre Lascaze
6th Place - Natalie Sierra
7th Place - Caressa Birks
8th Place - Andrew Dunn
9th Place - Selena Dexter
10th Place - Laylonna Smith
11th Place - Joel Cardenas
12th Place - Nathan Moronta
13th Place - Steven Goodman
14th Place - Anaid Alvarez
15th Place - Chase Brown
impromptu speaking
Middle school winners
2nd Place - Jorge Herrera
3rd Place - Mia Yu
4th Place - Caressa Birks
5th Place - Selena Dexter
6th Place - Daniel St. Louis
7th Place - Joel Cerdenas
8th Place - Natalie Sierra
9th Place - Ada Cuartocruz
10th Place - Jalen Zheng
11th Place - Riley Bethea
12th Place - Vincent Wen
13th Place - Steven Goodman
14th Place - Nathan Moronta
15th Place - Ella Marsala
OUR STORY
In November 2021, the FCDI hosted the inaugural National Civics and Debate Championship (NCDC), which showcased a “next level synthesis” of civics education and debate competition. The NCDC thoroughly challenged students’ civics knowledge, debate skills and endurance. Students participated in a three-day competition with over 150 students and 26 teams.
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With exemplary performance in rigorous contests aligned with Florida’s standards, students competed in the areas of Congressional Debate, Extemporaneous Debate, Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Sports Analysis (a new event added to attract a new demographic of competitors).
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​While most conventional debate tournaments require students to compete in only one event, the NCDC “triathlon” required students to compete in different debate events on each of the three tournament days.
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