North Lamar Speech and Debate team members, Steele Musgrove, Jared Chenevey, Colin Hodgkiss, and Seth Gurley who are coached by Kristi Hodgkiss, have qualified to compete at the Texas Forensics Association (TFA) state meet in El Paso, Texas, March 5-8.
In order to earn the trip to the state meet, the students had to compete at TFA certified meets and earn points by placing in the top six places.
Chenevey and Gurley qualified in Speaking while Musgrove and Hodgkiss qualified in Cross Examination Debate. By competing at meets certified by TFA, the students go up against extremely rigorous competition almost exclusively from 5A and 6A Texas high schools.
This is the largest number of students that have ever qualified for TFA State from North Lamar High School and the first time in the history of North Lamar Speech and Debate that a Cross Examination Debate Team has qualified for TFA State competition.
According to Hodgkiss, “The benefits of participating in this difficult circuit are amazing as students enhance their skills, confidence, and poise as they prepare for the University Interscholastic League (UIL) competition in the spring.”