The Diablo Valley College Speech & Debate Team delivered an extraordinary performance at the Northern California Speech & Debate Championships, held February 20“22, 2026, at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.
Hosted by the (NCFA), the Spring Championship is a premier regional tournament that brings together top two- and four-year colleges from across Northern California to compete in a wide range of speech and debate events. Over three demanding days, students showcased their skill, preparation and resilience.
91ÌÒÉ« rose to the challenge with a commanding victory, recapturing the overall team championship with an impressive 324 points, finishing nearly 200 points ahead of all other colleges in attendance.
This achievement is a testament to the students™ dedication, countless hours of preparation, and commitment to competitive excellence. Their success highlights the strength of 91ÌÒÉ«™s Speech & Debate program and its continued leadership in the region.
The team extends a heartfelt thank you to the entire 91ÌÒÉ« community for its ongoing encouragement and support. A special appreciation goes to the Communication Studies department for its steadfast commitment to student success and competitive forensics.
Below is a list of awards earned at the championship.
- 91ÌÒÉ« “ Northern California Championships - Overall 1st Place
- 1st Place:
- Nour Barakat “ Dramatic Interpretation
- Nour Barakat “ Poetry Interpretation
- Daniel Mendelson & Robert Erwin “ Duo Interpretation
- Kenza Aya Dje “ Prose Interpretation
- Adrian Losada “ Parliamentary Debate Speaker
- Chase Hatfield “ Junior International Public Debate
- Gage Walker “ Junior International Public Debate
- Kana McNiff “ Junior International Public Debate
- Chase Hatfield & Ian Kusmiantoro “ Junior Parliamentary Debate
- Ian Kusmiantoro “ Junior Lincoln Douglas Debate Speaker
- Frank Quintanilla “ Junior Parliamentary Debate Speaker
- Garett Slody “ Novice Prose Interpretation
- Sommer Stirm “ Novice Dramatic Interpretation
- Sommer Stirm “ Novice Program Oral Interpretation
- 2nd Place:
- Emma Chigbu “ Communication Analysis
- Emma Chigbu “ Poetry Speaking
- Azlan Brown “ Program Oral Interpretation
- Christina Sun “ Persuasive Speaking
- Christina Sun “ Lincoln Douglas Debate (Semi-Finalist)
- Ian Kusmiantoro “ Lincoln Douglas Debate (Semi-Finalist)
- Christina Sun & Garret Slody “ Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
- Adrian Losada & Hanna Schroer “ Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
- Frank Quintanilla & Zenadin Zeric “ Junior Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
- Gage Walker & Kana McNiff “ Junior Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
- Suren Paterson “ Junior Extemporaneous Speaking
- Aleena Alama “ Junior International Public Debate Speaker
- Eilidh Kilpatrick “ Junior Impromptu Speaking
- Tim Sherry “ Novice Prose Interpretation
- 3rd Place:
- Robert Erwin & Kenza Aya Dje “ Duo Interpretation
- Alina Mohammadian “ Program Oral Interpretation
- Kylie Bryan “ Poetry Interpretation
- Kylie Bryan “ After Dinner Speaking
- Emma Chigbu “ Prose Interpretation
- Christina Sun “ Parliamentary Debate Speaker
- Eilidh Kilpatrick “ Junior Communication Analysis
- Francisco Romero “ Novice Program Oral Interpretation
- Sayara Rozymuradova “ Novice Prose Interpretation
- Ian Kusmiantoro “ Lincoln Douglas Debate Speaker
- Alexis Manchouk “ Novice International Public Debate (Quarter-Finalist)
- Chappy Daviyikin “ Novice International Public Debate (Quarter-Finalist)
- 4th Place:
- Daniel Mendelson “ Dramatic Interpretation
- Nour Barakat “ After Dinner Speaking
- Christina Sun “ Lincoln Douglas Debate Speaker
- Gage Walker “ Junior International Public Debate Speaker
- Alina Mohammadian “ Junior Persuasive Speaking
- Sunny Attar “ Novice Informative Speaking
- Maya Higgins “ Novice Program Oral Interpretation
- Finalists:
- Kylie Bryan “ Dramatic Interpretation
- Azlan Brown & Emma Chigbu “ Duo Interpretation
- Alina Mohammadian & Daniel Mendelson “ Duo Interpretation
- Robert Erwin “ Prose Interpretation
- Kylie Bryan “ Prose Interpretation
- Eilidh Kilpatrick “ Program Oral Interpretation
- Suren Paterson “ Junior Impromptu
- Zenadin Zeric “ Junior Parliamentary Debate Speaker
- Ian Flores “ Novice Dramatic Interpretation
- Matt Ng “ Novice Prose Interpretation
- Freddy Aguirre “ Novice Persuasive Speaking
- Maya Higgins “ Novice Persuasive Speaking
