Competitive Speech & Debate | Almaden Country Day School

Competitive Speech & Debate | Almaden Country Day School
Competitive Speech & Debate
The ACDS Speech and Debate Team
Competitive Speech and Debate at Almaden Country Day School is a fun and exciting way for students in grades 6-8 to develop their public speaking and debate skills under the guidance of nationally renowned Coach Chris Wardner. The Speech and Debate team is open to all middle school students. ACDS does not hold tryouts or cut students from the team. During the 1st trimester, the students take an elective class that allows them to prepare for competition with minimal impact on after-school activities. During the 2nd and 3rd trimesters coaching is one-on-one and scheduled by appointment after school.
The ACDS Speech team participates in 6 to 10 tournaments each season. The team is invited to both middle and high school invitational tournaments held both locally and at locations outside the Bay Area. The season concludes with the State and National championship tournaments. The 2025 National Tournament will be held in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2021, ACDS was named a School of Excellence. This award is given to the top 20 schools in the country and recognizes outstanding achievement as a team..
For more information on Almaden Country Day School’s Competitive Speech and Debate Program, please read our
FAQs
and/or contact
Coach Chris Wardner
Speech & Debate Tournament Highlights
The Almaden Country Day School Competitive Speech and Debate Team placed at these tournaments:
2025 NSDA National Tournament:
Misha Feinberg-Charaus 4th Place Declamation, Alisa Solnit 7th Place Informative Speaking, Anvika Bhatnagar 11th Place Humorous Interpretation
Bay Area Middle School Championship Tournament:
Purna Jayendra
Tournament Champion
Original Oratory (Persuasive Speaking), Alisa Solnit 3rd Place Original Oratory (Persuasive Speaking), Alisa Solnit 2nd Place Informative Speaking, Julia Vikingstad 6th Place Informative Speaking, Amara Alsberg 5th Place Humorous Interpretation, Connor Marovich 6th Place Declamation, Scott Nidome and Griffin Tamboury
Tournament Champions
Duo Interpretation, Lillian Jones and Cassie Franklin 3rd Place Duo Interpretation, Rayaan Latif and Rafael Kashif 4th Place Duo Interpretation
2025 Berman Invitational:
Misha Feinberg-Charaus 3rd place Open Declamation, Rafael Kashif and Rayaan Latif 4th place Open Duo Interpretation, Alisa Solnit
Tournament Champion
Open Informative, Hazel Finnegan 2nd place Open Informative, Maks Grobman 3rd place Open Informative, Julia Vikingstad 4th place Open Informative, Alisa Solnit
Tournament Champion
Open Oratory (Persuasive), Misha Feinberg-Charaus 2nd place Open Oratory (Persuasive), Purna Jayendra 3rd place Open Oratory (Persuasive), Sabina Erkbol 4th place Open Oratory (Persuasive), Anvika Bhatnagar
Tournament Champion
Novice Humorous Interpretation, Amara Alsberg 3rd place Novice Humorous Interpretation, Eliana Nadir 4th place Novice Humorous Interpretation
2025 DVC Winterfest (Held at Diablo Valley College)
: Team 2nd place overall, Misha Feinberg-Charaus
Tournament Champion
Original Oratory, Alisa Solnit 2nd place Original Oratory, Sabina Erkbol 3rd place Original Oratory, Misha Feinberg-Charaus
Tournament Champion
Declamation, Connor Marovich 3rd place Declamation, Alisa Solnit
Tournament Champion
Informative Speaking, Hazel Finnegan 2nd place Informative Speaking, Juila Vikingstad 3rd place Informative Speaking, Amara Alsberg 2nd place Humorous Interpretation, Kai Bolina 3rd place Humorous Interpretation
2025 Windemere Ranch Invitational:
Scott Nidome and Griffin Tamboury 3rd Place Duo Interpretation, Anvika Bhatnagar
Tournament Champion
Humorous Interpretation, Eliana Nadir 2nd Place Humorous Interpretation
2024 Bentley Invitational:
Misha Feinberg-Charaus
Tournament Champion
Original Oratory, Alisa Solnit 2nd place Original Oratory, Purna Jayendra 3rd place Original Oratory, Alisa Solnit
Tournament Champion
Informative Speaking, Hazel Finnegan 3rd place Informative Speaking, Anvika Bhatnagar
Tournament Champion
Humorous Interpretation, Aryaman Rathore 3rd place Humorous Interpretation, Connor Marovich 3rd place Declamation, Rayaan Latif and Rafael Kashif 3rd place Duo Interpretation
2024 John Lewis Invitational (HS Tournament):
Jake Laponis 5th place Informative Speaking, Alisa Solnit 2nd place Original Oratory, Anvika Bhatnagar 2nd place Humorous Interpretation, Scott Nidome and Griffin Tamboury 2nd place Duo Interpretation
2024 Jon Schamber Invitational (HS tournament held at the University of the Pacific):
Scott Nidome and Griffin Tamboury
Tournament Champions
Novice Duo Interpretation, Alisa Solnit
Tournament Champion
OPEN Podcasting, Alisa Solnit 2nd place Novice Original Oratory (Persuasive)
2023 Bay Area MS Championships:
Dramatic Interpretation
Tournament Champion
Harper Buck, Alayna Latif 3rd place Humorous Interpretation, Byron Liu 3rd place Informative Speaking, Makoto Abe 5th place Humorous Interpretation, Abigail Peterson 6th place Declamation
2022 All Inclusive Invitational:
Abigail Peterson 4th Place Declamation, Alayna Latif 2nd Place Humorous Interpretation, Sarah Vender 4th Place Humorous Interpretation, Makoto Abe 5th Place Humorous Interpretation
2022 Holiday Classic:
Harper Buck
Tournament Champion
Dramatic Interpretation, Sara Vender 2nd Place Humorous Interpretation, Alayna Latif 3rd Place Humorous Interpretation, Matvei Potov 3rd Place Informative Speaking, Ryan Wilkinson 3rd Place Original Oratory, Armaan Bhasin 4th Place Original Oratory, Byron Lu 5th Place Informative Speaking
2022 Aurevoir Invitational:
Sarah Vender
Tournament Champion
Humorous Interpretation, Ryan Wilkinson
Tournament Champion
Original Oratory, Harper Buck 2nd Place Dramatic Interpretation, Alondra Surani Semi Finalist Declamation, Abigail Peterson Semi Finalist Declamation
2022 John Lewis Invitational:
Abigail Peterson 3rd place Declamation, Ryan Wilkinson 4th place Original Oratory, Harper Buck 7th place Dramatic Interpretation, Byron Liu 9th place Informative Speaking
2022 University of Pacific:
Kostantina Bala 2nd Place Dramatic Interpretation
2022 Gray Middle School Tournament:
Tournament Champion
and 6th Original Oratory, 4th Duo Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
Declamation,
Tournament Champion
, 3rd, 5th, 6th Humorous Interpretation, 5th Storytelling
2022 Highlands Middle School Tournament:
Tournament Champion
and 5th Original Oratory, 4th Duo Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
, 2nd and 6th Humorous Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
and 2nd Declamation
2022 Bixby Green Corn Classic:
Tournament Champion
Duo Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
, 2nd and 3rd
Original Oratory,
Tournament Champion
, 2nd and 3rd Declamation,
Tournament Champion
and 2nd Informative,
Tournament Champion
, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Humorous Interpretation
2021 Scholars Invitational:
Bronze Informative Speaking, Bronze Original Oratory, Silver Original Oratory,
Gold
Original Oratory, Bronze and
Gold
Declamation, Bronze Storytelling,
Gold
Humorous Interpretation
2021 John Lewis Invitational:
Tournament Champion
, 3rd and 6th Novice Humorous Interpretation, 2nd Novice Declamation
2021 NSDA National Tournament Showcase:
Showcase Champion
Humorous Interpretation and Declamation
2021 CMSF State Championships:
2nd Humorous Interpretation
2021 SCJFL League Championship:
Tournament
Champion
Duo Interpretation, 2nd and 3rd Declamation
2021 CHSSA State Tournament:
3rd Sweepstakes,
State Champion
Duo Interpretation,
State Champion
Storytelling,
State Champion
Humorous Interpretation
2021 Southern States Invitational:
Tournament Champion
Duo Interpretation, 2nd Impromptu Speaking
2021 SCJFL League 3:
Tournament Champion
Humorous Interpretation, 2nd Duo Interpretation
2021 Henry Clay:
3rd Declamation
2021 Bardstown Blizzard:
2nd Humorous Interpretation
2021 Gray MS Tournament:
Tournament Champion
Humorous Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
Impromptu Speaking, 3rd Humorous Interpretation, 2nd Place and 3rd Declamation
2021 Highlands MS Tournament:
Tournament Champion
Declamation and Humorous Interpretation, 2nd Impromptu Speaking and Humorous Interpretation, 3rd Declamation
2021 Cabot Classic:
4th Informative
2021 SCJFL League 1:
2nd and 3rd Duo Interpretation
2020 John Lewis Invitational:
Tournament Champion
, Runner Up and 6th Humorous Interpretation,
Tournament Champions
Duo Interpretation
2020 Wolpert-Gawron Invitational:
2nd and 3rd Duo Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
and 4th Declamation
2020 NSDA Middle School Challenge:
Showcase Champion
Congress Authorship Speech
2020 SCJFL National Invitational:
Tournament Champion
, 2nd and 4th Dramatic Interpretation,
Tournament Champion
and 3rd Duo Interpretation
2020 CMSF State Championships:
State Champion
, 2nd, and 3rd Dramatic Interpretation,
State Champion
Duo Interpretation, 8th Overall Sweepstakes
2020 Golden State Invitational:
Tournament Champion
Spontaneous Argumentation, Tournament Co-Champion Declamation, 2nd and 3rd Humorous Interpretation, 2nd and 3rd Dramatic Interpretation
Click here for full list of results
I'm blown away that ACDS has a middle school speech program of this caliber. This program is world class and a natural extension of the school's values. Beyond trophies, I'm impressed and grateful for how dedicated a coach and mentor Chris is, whether students are managing disappointment or are winning state.
Middle School Parent
2025-2026 Tournament Season Schedule
Jon Schamber Invitational
(Univ of Pacific)
October 25 - 26, 2025
In Person
John Lewis Invitational
(Silver Creek HS)
November 22 - 23, 2025
In Person
Bentley Invitational
(The Bentley School)
December 13, 2025
In Person
Windemere Ranch MS Tournament
February 7, 2026
In Person
DVC Viking Winterfest (Diablo Valley College)
February 8, 2026
In Person
El Cerrito HS Berman Invitational
March 21, 2026
In Person
Bay Area MS Champs (Presentation HS)
April 12, 2026
In Person
CHSSA State Tournament
May 16 - 17, 2026
NSDA National Tournament
(Richmond, VA)
June 16 - 20, 2026
In Person
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ACDS Speech and Debate Team Finalists Earn Entries to the SCJFL League Championships!
ACDS Speech and Debate Team Win Awards at Tournaments in Oklahoma and Kentucky
Scholars Invitational Tournament Results
IN THE PRESS
Rostrum
April/May 2021
"Meet us in the Middle: The State of Middle School Speech and Debate"
About Chris Wardner
Mr. Wardner has been the Public Speaking teacher and Director of Speech and Debate at Almaden Country Day School for over 30 years. He is a National Speech and Debate Association Four Diamond coach and was named the 2021 Middle School Coach of the Year. Mr. Wardner also coaches at Leland High School, which has been awarded the National Speech and Debate Association School of Distinction given to the top ten schools in the country. During his tenure, numerous students at ACDS and Leland have reached the State and National tournament final rounds where 3 were named National Champions, 5 were named Middle School National Tournament Showcase Champions, and 15 have won State Championships.
For more information on Almaden Country Day School’s Competitive Speech and Debate Program, please read our
FAQs
and/or contact
Coach Chris Wardner