Local students to vie nationally

YOUNGSTOWN -- Several local students have earned the right to compete at the 2006 Blue Bonnet National Speech and Debate Tournament scheduled for June 18 through 23 in Grapevine-Colleyville, Texas.
They competed against 340 students at a competition Feb. 10 and 11. In June, they will compete against more than 2,000 students from across the nation for college scholarships to be awarded by Lincoln Financial Group.
The speech and debate organization is organized and run by the National Forensic League, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit educational honorary society based in Ripon, Wis.
The students and their respective categories:
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Ankit Bansal, Boardman High School; and Cassandra Pallai, Cardinal Mooney High School.
Original Oratory: Jeanine Awad, Mooney; and Victoria McBride, Ursuline High School.
Humorous Interpretation: Cornelius Hubbard, Chaney High School; and Christine Horvath and Lauren Camacci, Poland Seminary High School.
Dramatic Interpretation: Mandela Bellamy, Ursuline; and Ross Bixler and Darien Brucoli, Howland High School.
U.S. Extemporaneous: Katie McConnell, Boardman; Jay Houser, Austintown Fitch High School; and Anthony Esposito, Canfield High School.
International Extemporaneous: Joseph St. George, Mooney; and Nicole Averell, Howland.
Duo Interpretation: Danielle Bernat and Stephanie Pallai, Mooney; Elysia Shutrump and Michael Teutsch, Canfield; and Michael Catlos and Andrea Shofstall, Poland.
Public Forum Debate: Zach Coulter and Michael Sanders, and Catherine Tomko and Dane Davis, Ursuline; and Ashley Devenport and Michael Detwiler, Fitch.