Flucos Win Debate Grand Slam

The 2021-2022 VHSL Debate season treated the FCHS debate team very well, as the team managed to sweep all three major competitions. The first competition on March 19 went smoothly, as six of the eight members of the team moved on to Super Regionals. Two weeks later, five of the six Fluco competitors managed to place and qualify for States.

What was the hardest part of competing at such a high level? “The preparation is the hardest part. Lots of late nights and crazy research, but this time, it paid off,” said junior and Student Congress debater Jackson Kinsella. “With Student Congress, specifically, it’s so difficult to know exactly what to prepare for, since you either get to use your prep, or might not get to use it at all. Ask any debater, and they’ll tell you that finding the right source can just be a pain,” he explained.

For senior and Policy debater Caroline Fields, the hardest part of competing at States was all of the competitions leading up to the final competition. “All and all, Riley [Yowell] and I debated for almost 24 hours on the States’ resolution before the States competition,“ she said. “The [preparation] for States was a lot more intense. The whole team was definitely feeling the pressure. Callie [Taylor] and Ashlyn [Fayard] put hours into research and counter plans, Jackson wrote over 10 individual speeches, and Riley and I competed at another tournament outside of our district for practice the weekend before States,” she added.

After many hours of debating, the results were in. Fluvanna had won the state competition and managed to complete the VHSL sweep. “I am so proud of everyone on the team, and seeing how hard they worked for that moment. I was just so full of happiness to see everyone place, so that was the best moment,” said Kinsella. Fields agreed. “The three wins (Regionals, Supers, and States) were a culmination of the past three years and our hard work. This season made all the stress worth it.”