Three members of the LCHS Debate Team have secured bids to compete at national tournaments. They are: (l-r) Abigail Minor, Nikolas Spens, and T.J. Carani. A tournament that began late on a Friday afternoon in Lincolnton and wrapped up the following Friday night in Carrollton proved to be quite memorable for the policy debate team of Abigail Minor and Nikolas Spens, both students at LCHS.

During the National Forensic League (NFL) Georgia Southern Peach District Tournament, Minor and Spens locked up bids to take part in the NFLNational Tournament, scheduled for June 17-22 in Wichita, Kansas, and the NCFL(National Catholic Forensic League) Grand National Tournament which will be held Memorial Day weekend in Houston, Texas.

In addition to Minor and Spens, T.J. Carani, another debate team member from LCHS, also received a bid to the Houston tournament to compete in the student congress events.

LCHS was the host of this year's double-elimination NFLGeorgia Southern Peach District Tournament.

According to Lee Robinson, debate coach at LCHS, "Rounds began on Friday night as 30 teams competed for three qualifying spots. At the end of the seventh round, which wrapped up late on Saturday evening, teams from Carrollton High School and Early County High School had secured bids, leaving the teams from LCHS and Warner Robins High School to compete for the final bid.

"Rather than hold an eighth round that would extend past midnight, the coaches and the tournament committee agreed that the students would debate the final round on the Friday prior to the NCFLGrand National Tournament Qualifier in Carrollton," the coach continued. "Abigail and Nikolas won on a 3-0 decision."

The decision gave Spens his first bid and Minor her third to the NFLNational Tournament. Minor's two previous bids were for original oratory. In fact, she was named first alternate to compete at the national tournament in original oratory at the district event.

Other LCHS students receiving recognition at the district tournament were:

.. Sarah Herring - finalist in both dramatic interpretation and humorous interpretation.

.. Kayla Crookham and Amy Dandron - finalists in duo interpretation.

.. Kitty Ball and Janelle Dukes - finalists in duo interpretation.

Both Herring and the team of Crookham and Dandron are second alternates in their respective events, putting them in line to make the trip to nationals if the two entries ahead of them are unable to compete.

Also competing in the tournament were the policy debate teams of Kayla Crookham and Amy Dandron, T.J. Carani and Andrew McQuigg, and Candace Marshall and Crystal Ransom.

Likewise, Janelle Dukes competed in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Taking part in other individual events were T.J. Carani (extemporaneous speaking), Amanda Dion (dramatic interpretation and humorous interpretation), Nikolas Spens (humorous interpretation), and Jaime Turner (original oratory.)

In further items of information, the LCHS debate coach reported on the NCFLGrand National Tournament Qualifier held at Carollton High School.

"In addition to Abigail, Nikolas, and T.J. receiving bids to the national tournament, Amy Dandron competed in prose/poetry and was named second alternate for the national tournament," said Robinson. "Also, she and T.J. competed in extemporaneous speaking."

The coach went on to note that the novice policy team of Kyrstie Scales and Roxanne Ware competed in the GFCA (Georgia Forensic Coaches Association) Novice/JV State Championship Tournament which was held in Carrollton as well.

Although LCHS debaters will continue to compete until mid-June, their season is beginning to wind down.

According to Robinson, "We still have three competitions left this season (NFLStudent Congress, the Richard B. Russell All-State Debates, and the Warner Robins Spring Fling), but things are much less hectic now. A number of students have put quite a bit of time into debate this year, and I'm excited for them that they are now reaping the rewards for a job well done."