14 to represent NMI at NJSDA nationals

The champions of the National Junior Speech and Debate Association competition, who will be representing the CNMI at the national competition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this June, pose for a photo last Saturday at the Mount Carmel School. (Kimberly A. Bautista)

The National Junior Speech and Debate Association will send 14 middle school students to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to represent the CNMI in 13 categories at the NJSDA National Tournament.

After a week of competition, the winners of the NJSDA annual competition were finally announced. Participating schools were Dandan Middle School, Saipan International School, Mount Carmel School, Francisco Mendiola Sablan Middle School, Hopwood Middle School, Green Meadow School, Northern Marianas International School, Saipan Community School, and Grace Christian Academy.

Students were awarded in 13 different categories: humorous interpretation, Carolinian, Chamorro, poetry, dramatic interpretation, storytelling, prose, duo, impromptu, declamation, original oratory, extemporaneous, and Lincoln-Douglas debate.

For humorous interpretation, Jonathan Wolf from DMS won first place, Edgardo Palma Jr. from Hopwood won second place, Dane Hodges from SIS won third place, Cerina Hwang from SIS won fourth place, and Areeza Gaile Anda from GMS won fifth place.

Palma will be representing the CNMI at the NJSDA national tournament in this category.

In the Carolinian category, Issa Teigita from DMS won first place, Oceana Teigita from DMS won second place, Marian Miranda from Hopwood won third place, and Juliet Inocencio from DMS won fourth place.

Issa Teigita will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under the English category.

In the Chamorro category, Oceana Teigita from DMS won first place, Issa Teigita from DMS won second place, Anthony Deleon Guerrero from GCA won third place, Rownel Cabrera from Hopwood won fourth place, and Victoria Torres from SIS won fifth place.

Oceana Teigita will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under the English category.

For poetry, Jonathan Wolf from DMS won first place, Jill Anne Mallari from MCS won second place, Vivien Liu from Hopwood won third place, Amy Rayn Soliman from NMIS won fourth place, and Rownel Coloma from Hopwood won fifth place.

Mallari will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

In dramatic interpretation, Vladimir Palma from Hopwood won first place, Christina Kim from SIS won second place, Amy Soliman from NMIS placed third, Ariel Legaspi from GMS won fourth place, and Tina Zhen from SCS placed fifth.

Palma will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

In the storytelling category, Lars Anthony Wolf from DMS won first place, Elaine Fernandez from FMSMS won second place, Cerina Hwang from SIS won third place, Dane Hodges from SIS won fourth place, and Mylan Goodwin from SIS won fifth place.

Hodges will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

Under the prose category Elaine Fernandez from FMSMS placed first, Amy Soliman from NMIS placed second, Vladimir Palma from HMS placed third, Filomenaleonisa Iakopo from GCA placed fourth and Tina Zhen from SCS placed fifth.

Fernandez will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

In the duo category, Lars Anthony Wolf and Jonathan Wolf from DMS placed first, Mylan Goodwin and Victoria Torres from SIS placed second, Edgardo Palma and Vladimir Palma from HMS placed third, Brandie Matsumoto and Soleil Lamar from GCA placed fourth, and Ariel Legaspi and Sabino Cabrera from GMS placed fifth.

The Wolf duo will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

For impromptu, Elaine Fernandez from FMSMS placed first, Patriesha Concillado from FMSMS placed second, Anthony Deleon Guerrero from GCA placed third, Juliet Inocencio from DMS placed fourth, and James Keaton from GCA placed fifth.

Concillado will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

In declamation, Juliet Inocencio from DMS won first place, Lars Anthony Wolf from DMS won second place, Dane Hodges from SIS won third place, Christian Pamintuan from GMS won fourth place, and Jill Anne Mallari from MCS won fifth place.

Inocencio will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

For original oratory, Christian Pamintuan from GMS placed first, Jill Anne Mallari from MCS placed second, Juliet Inocencio from DMS placed third, Vivien Liu from Hopwood placed fourth, and Patriesha Concillado from FMSMS placed fifth.

Pamintuan will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

In the extemporaneous category Vivien Liu from Hopwood placed first, James Keaton from GCA placed second, Patriesha Concillado from FMSMS placed third, Anthony Deleon Guerrero from GCA placed fourth, and Daniel Kang from SCS placed fifth.

Liu will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

For the Lincoln-Douglas debate Cerina Hwang from SIS won first place, Victoria Torres from SIS won second place, Christina Kim from SIS won third place, Anastasiia Shamaneva from SIS won fourth place, and Mylan Goodwin from SIS won fifth place.

Hwang will be representing the CNMI at the national tournament under this category.

The students chosen to represent the CNMI will be participating in the National Junior Speech and Debate Association National Tournament in June if federal funding permits.