- Avinoor Jutla, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School, won Overall Middle School Tournament Champion at the 2024 Great Debate National Civics and Debate Championship.
- The championship was held January 16-19 in Orlando and attracted over 600 competitors from 15 states.
- Alachua County students earned 20 trophies, accounting for 22% of all awards at the event.
- Cooper Campen of Campen Homeschool placed first in Middle School Impromptu Speaking and fourth overall in the Middle School Division.
Lincoln Middle School eighth-grader Avinoor Jutla earned the Overall Middle School Tournament Champion at the America 250 – The Great Debate National Civics and Debate Championship (GDNCDC) held Jan. 16-19 in Orlando.
Jutla was one of several Alachua County students who received honors at the four-day event that drew more than 600 competitors from 15 states.
According to an Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) release, Jutla, who was an award-winner in three middle school categories, is coached by Marna Weston, who has coached several students to victory in speech and debate competitions in recent years, including the 2024 National Civics and Debate Champion. Weston also earned state and national recognition for his work.
“This accomplishment reflects Avinoor’s hard work, discipline and passion for civic engagement,” said Weston in the release. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see students grow into confident thinkers and speakers on a national stage.”
According to a press release from GDNCDC, Alachua County competitors earned 20 trophies, representing 22% of all awards presented at the championship. They included students from ACPS, The Frazer School and Campen Homeschool.
Alachua County students were dominant in Middle School Impromptu Speaking, capturing seven of the 10 trophies awarded. Homeschooler Cooper Campen claimed first place in the event.
The official finals results are available by clicking here.
Middle School Results
Overall Honors
- Avinoor Jutla, Lincoln Middle School — Overall Middle School Tournament Champion
- Cooper Campen, Campen Homeschool — 4th Place Overall, Middle School Division
Extemporaneous Debate
- Avinoor Jutla, Lincoln Middle School — 6th Place
- Cooper Campen, Campen Homeschool — Finalist
- Maria Eder, Oak View Middle School — Finalist
Impromptu Speaking
- Cooper Campen, Campen Homeschool — 1st Place
- Avinoor Jutla, Lincoln Middle School — 2nd Place
- Ellington Smith, Oak View Middle School — 3rd Place
- Shreeya Narasimhan, Frazer School — 4th Place
- Sarah Khial, Kanapaha Speech & Debate — Finalist
- Aarnav Kandhiraju, Frazer School — Finalist
- Vincent Wen, Frazer School — Finalist
Legislative Debate
- Maggie Castle, Oak View Middle School — 5th Place
- Quinn Baker, Oak View Middle School — Finalist
- Avinoor Jutla, Lincoln Middle School — Finalist
- Sarah Khial, Kanapaha Speech & Debate — Finalist
High School Results
Varsity Impromptu Speaking
- Audrey Ellenburg, Newberry High School — 5th Place
- Tanvi Gawande, Eastside High School — Finalist
- Gillian Collins, Gainesville High School Speech & Debate — Finalist
- Arlo Sawicki, Gainesville High School Speech & Debate — Finalist
Varsity Legislative Debate
- Gillian Collins, Gainesville High School Speech & Debate — 5th Place
- Steph Salavei, Santa Fe High School — Finalist