The Mount Pleasant High School Speech and Debate Team traveled to Austin to take part in the annual Cross Examination (CX) Debate State Tournament March 16-17. Taking both qualifying spots out of our district, the teams of Senior Nathon Segovia and Junior Audrey Courreges, and Seniors Anthony Preciado and Seth Robertson were competing for a State Championship.
The first day the two teams would compete in four preliminary rounds in a pool of 62 teams. The team of Anthony Preciado and Seth Robertson found themselves 4-0 not losing a round. They would advance into the second day of competition as the 5th seed out of 16 advancing teams. The team of Nathon Segovia and Audrey Courreges would find themselves one round short of medaling.
However, Nathon Segovia would earn an individual recognition, being awarded 5th ranked speaker in 5A out of the 124 individual participants.
Saturday morning brought about the elimination rounds in which the Mount Pleasant team of Anthony Preciado and Seth Robertson would face off against a very good team from Austin Liberal Arts and Science Academy. Advancing on a 2-1 decision they would look to debate another very good team from Corpus Christi WB Ray, who they had beaten in round 4 the previous day. Mount Pleasant would end up losing this time and finish in 5th place. They were eliminated in the round of 8 but because of their high seeding they would be ranked 5th in the state earning State Sweepstakes points.
This was the first time in school history that a debate team from Mount Pleasant High School has ever placed at the CX State tournament.
Head Speech and Debate coach Cody Morris was thrilled with the results. “All of these students have worked hard for four years to help build and grow this program as well as grow themselves as debaters. It is extremely difficult to reach this milestone and these students will carry this accomplishment with them for the rest of their lives. As a coach, I couldn’t be prouder to have worked side by side with such amazing students. I truly believe these students are the future leaders of America.”
Pictured: Nathon Segovia, Coach Cody Morris, Anthony Preciado and Seth Robertson