Quest Academy JV Debate Team wins State Championship!
Two Quest Academy students, Riya Cheriyan & Maanya Haldwania, won 1st Place in the State Debate Championship, JV division last month. Their feat was even more remarkable because this was only the 2nd year of existence for the Debate Club at Quest AND it was a first time collaboration for Riya & Maanya.
Mr. Drew Shilanek, Quest Academy LASS Teacher and Debate Coach had the following to say: “I am so proud of these two debaters. To have never debated as a team and succeed at such a high level is amazing. I not surprised in the least. When we put them together, I felt like they had the preparation, determination, and competitiveness to overcome a lack of having worked together before.”
In order to qualify for the finals, Cheriyan and Haldwania faced Quest Academy’s Mikey Muir and Ravi Sijapati in the semifinals. Muir and Sijapati finished third overall in the JV division with a 2-1 record. Eighth grader Sumaer Gupta teamed up with sixth grader Rayan Zaidi and finished in the top eight with a 1-1 record in the JV division.
Quest qualified three novice teams for the State Debate Tournament as well. Aariz Mufti and Bruce Allkanjari and fifth graders Reed Qaimari and Portia Dalskov both won their first-round matches, finishing with 1-1 records and placing in the top eight for both leagues.
Congratulations and thanks to our Quest Academy debaters, teachers and parents! No one can argue with the fact that you make us all proud!
Quest Academy Debate Team State Accomplishments
JV State Champions
Riya Cheriyan and Maanya Haldwania
JV State Qualifiers
Mikey Muir and Ravi Sijapati – Advanced to Semifinals
Sumaer Gupta & Rayan Zaidi – Advanced to Quarterfinals
Novice State Qualifiers
Aarush Patel and Austin Patel Qualified in the top 16
Reed Qaimari and Portia Dalskov – Advanced to Quarterfinals
Bruce Allkanjari and Aariz Mufti – Advanced to Quarterfinals