At the 11th Annual University Interscholastic League Congressional Debate State Tournament held on the campus of the University of Texas and the Texas State Capitol, Big Spring High School Speech and Debate team member Tyler Grove took home the 4A Congressional Debate State Championship.
“I placed 10th last year,” Grove said. “It was my first year to compete in congress, so this year I knew I could do better. I was aiming for a top three placing, so being the State Champion is awesome.” Grove, no stranger to medaling in speech events at UIL State, was last year’s silver medalist in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
Congressional Debate is unlike any other debate event that the Steers compete in. It starts in October where students write mock legislation to debate in a fashion modeled after real life congress. The top students at a special district in the fall qualify for the State Meet.
At the State Meet, students compete in eight hours of debate over different bills and resolutions submitted from across the state. Advancers then move on to another eight hours of debate, but this time held in the meeting rooms at the State capitol building.
Joining Grove at the Congressional State Meet were Senior Chloe Sanchez and Junior Ashley Melendez.
The Steers continued a long tradition of Big Spring High School competing at the State Meet. The school has qualified for and had a student in finals every year in the decade that the event has been held. Grove’s State championship is the second time a BSHS Speech & Debate Member has won the event. Ethan Morelion won the event in 2016.
(Courtesy Photo provided by Clint Adams, BSISD.)
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