MPISD – News

1st row L to R: Kiara Rundles, Gopi Amin, Angie Hernandez

2nd row L to R: Coach Enrique Martinez, Connelly Cowan, Anthony Orellana

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Kelly Cowan

MPHS Speech and Debate opens season with wins

The Mount Pleasant High School Speech and Debate team is gearing up for another great season. Team members recently opened their seasons in the Cross-Examination (CX) and Lincoln Douglas (LD) debate, placing in two different tournaments at the top.  

The CX team of senior Connelly Cowan and junior Anthony Orellana were undefeated at the Plano/Clark Invitational on August 27-28. They defeated Princeton (3), Westwood (2), and St. Mark’s to claim the championship, with Cowan being named Top Speaker of the tournament.

In LD, freshman Gopi Amin, sophomore Angie Hernandez, and sophomore Kiara Rundles competed in their first tournament at the Hendrickson Pflugerville swing on September 3-4. In the Novice LD category, Rundles was a semifinalist, with Amin and Hernandez being named co-champions.

“These students have been working since early August,” said MP Speech and Debate coach Enrique Martinez. “It is always tough to start before classes begin, but seeing such a dedicated group of students is very encouraging to everyone on the team. I am very excited to see that we are starting in such a spectacular fashion. It is on us to continue building on this great start throughout the next few weeks and months. It is also amazing to see the team’s veterans go above and beyond, helping the new members in many ways, creating a strong, cohesive unit.”