The Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South Speech, Drama, and Debate Teams had an outstanding performance at the Texas Forensics Association (TFA) Qualifying Tournament hosted by Kempner High School on Sept. 7.
The teams brought home more than 20 trophies with almost all students that attended placing in their respective event.
It was the first time the HHS team competed at the tournament, and first time the two teams traveled together as one school district.
HHS students Jessica Vega and Illiana Silva placed fifth and seventh in Novice Poetry, respectively. Silva also placed second in Novice Prose. In Duet Improvisation Alex Molina and Myles Rosenbaum placed eighth. Chandler Stanteen placed third in Lincoln Douglas Debate. In the category of Novice Congressional Debate, Seton Uhlhorn, Clara, Duffy, Nikki Fleuriet and Carrie Boswell placed second, sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively
The HHSS team was awarded the first place overall Sweepstakes Award and earned multiple individual placings.
Individually, Paige Robles, Saywer Warenburg and Christopher Esparza placed second, third and fourth in Varsity Humorous Interpretation, respectively. In Novice Humorous Interpretation Alondra Garcia and Angela Gonzalez placed fifth and sixth.
In Varsity Dramatic Interpretation, Esparza, Robles and Sofia Cuellar placed second, fourth and fifth, respectively. Gonzalez placed third in Novice Dramatic Interpretation.
For the Varsity Prose category, Mathew Almaguer, Mathew Cannon and Sawyer Warrenburg placed second, third and fifth. In novice, Cuellar and Gonzalez placed third and sixth.
In Varsity Poetry, Robles and Rebecca Pockrus placed second and third, respectively. In the novice category, Gonzalez and Cuellar placed third and sixth.
In Duo Acting, Esparza and Pockrus placed first, Robles and Almaguar placed fourth, and Cannon and Warenburg placed seventh. Esparza and Cannon also placed first in Duet Acting, and Krista Gutteres and Shania Huertado placed fourth. In Duet Improvisation, Collin and Flemons and Samuel Binum placed first.
Jann Soto and Esparza placed second and third in Varsity Original Oratory. In novice, Huertado, Canon and A.J. Gomez placed fifth, sixth and seventh.
In Varsity Foreign Exempt, Soto placed second. June Martinez and Miriam Perez placed second, Maddie Garza and Kendra Torres placed fourth in Novice Cross Examination. Soto also placed fifth in Varsity Congressional Debate.
Finally, Esparza received the top interpretation award.
