Speech and Debate Team
Raiders excel at two speech and debate tournaments
Ten Ransom Everglades speech and debate students posted top-10 finishes at an international debate tournament in Weston in December and nearly two dozen earned finalist recognition at a local tournament in Fort Lauderdale in November. The Raiders were led by Claudia Colina ’25 (first place, dramatic interpretation), Gustavo Do Valle ’26 (first place, humorous interpretation), Danny Mendelson ’25 and Max Salomon ’25 (second place, public forum), Isabella Copetti ’27 (third place, original oratory), Jack McCarron ’26 (third, humorous interpretation) at the 8th Annual International Tradition Tournament at Cypress Bay High Dec. 2-3; all also earned prestigious bids to the end-of-season Tournament of Champions event.
Kenzie Kaplan ’25 (sixth, dramatic interpretation), Sara Cooper ’26 and Vanessa Balson ’26 (seventh, duo interpretation) and Ella Crowley ’26 (top 10, congressional) also reached the event finals in Weston.
At the South Florida Catholic Forensic League No. 2 event at Everglades High on Nov. 11, the Raiders earned several gold-medal finishes: Do Valle scored first place in dramatic performance; Miranda Silva '26 and Daniela Garcia '26 claimed first in duo interpretation, and Eduardo Michelsen '25 and Armando Barlick '26 tied for first place in extemporaneous speaking. The Raiders competed under speech and debate coach and faculty member Kate Hamm.
RESULTS
8th Annual Tradition Tournament at Cypress Bay
Dramatic Interpretation of Literature: Claudia Colina '25 1st place Champion (TOC bid), Kenzie Kaplan '25 6th place
Duo Interpretation of Literature: Sara Cooper '26 and Vanessa Balson '26 7th place
Humorous Interpretation of Literature: Gustavo Do Valle '26 1st place Champion (TOC bid), Jack Mc Carron '26 3rd place (TOC bid)
Original Oratory: Isabella Copetti '27 3rd place (TOC bid)
Public Forum: Danny Mendelson '25 and Max Salomon '25 2nd place (TOC bid), Thomas Crowley '24 and Varun Raju '24 quarterfinalists
Congressional Debate: Ella Crowley '26 final round, top ten in the tournament
SFCFL No. 2 at Everglades High
Dramatic Performance: Gustavo Do Valle ’26 1st place, Claudia Colina ’25 2nd place, Beatriz Alves de Lima '26 6th place
Duo Interpretation of Literature: Miranda Silva '26 and Daniela Garcia '26 1st place, Lilah Murphy '27 and Lucas Sanchez '27 4th place
Extemporaneous Speaking: Eduardo Michelsen '25 and Armando Barlick '25 three-way tie for 1st place, Nora Brue '25 4th place
Impromptu Speaking: Elisa Sotero '27 5th place
Original Oratory: Paola Maynulet '26 3rd place, Carlos Del Canal Fernandez '25 4th place, Yuanjin “Adaya” Yang '25 5th place, Tyira Jackson '24 6th place
Public Forum: Charlotte Gould '26 and Ana Gonzalez '26 2nd place, Tino Pena '26 and T.J. Malone '25 3rd place
Varsity Student Congress: Sophia Linfield '26 4th place, Chloe Zaldivar '26 5th place, Lucas Blanco '24 6th place
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.