Junior Kendall Morales and sophomore Evan Grisham brought back medals this past week from the State CX Debate meet in Austin.

     What started out as over 225 debate teams earlier this year was whittled down to 62 to start the event; after putting in a 3-1 record on their first day of rounds, Morales and Grisham found themselves competing among the top 16 teams in the state of Texas on day two.

     “I was really grateful to have the opportunity to debate at the state competition,” Morales said. “It couldn’t have been possible without all of the support from our family and of course our coaches. We went against some tough teams, but I am really proud of the results; working hard all year has definitely paid off and I can’t wait to be back at Austin next year.”

     Grisham stepped in at the last minute before the state meet as Morales’s original partner, Kaci Allen, got sick.

     “Being allowed to debate at state this week was an honor. I was lucky because I wasn’t supposed to be able to,” Grisham said. “I am very happy about what we did. It was a great accomplishment that we have not been able to reach before. I hope we can improve next year and possibly make it to the next round.”

     Coaches for the BHS debate teams are Melonie Menefee and Jill Henson.

     “I am unbelievably proud of these two and the entire CX debate team,” Menefee said. “They have spent countless hours working and debating in practice matches, and their hard work paid off with state medals.”

     Each round is an hour and a half long. After four rounds on Monday, their 3-1 record and speaker points for the day advanced them to the finals. Morales and Grisham lost during octafinals to a team that went on to win second place.

     “CX Debate is in my opinion the toughest academic event,” Henson said. “It takes so many and such varied skills to excel, but this team has done just that. I’m so proud of their year-long dedication.”