C.C. Winn High School Advances Two Cross-Examination Debate Teams to State Championship Meet
By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016
On Saturday, February 6, 2016 the 29-5A District University Interscholastic League (UIL) Cross Examination Debate Tournament was held at Martin High School in Laredo Texas with both C. C. Winn High School Debate Teams sweeping the district competition with a First and Second Place finish, qualifying both teams to the 20115-2016 UIL State Cross-Examination Debate Championship Meet to be held March 18-19, 2016 at the University of Texas at Austin, announced Randy Laurence, C. C. Winn Cross-Examination Debate Team Sponsor and Coach.
Eleven debate teams from five high schools in District 29-5A competed in this year’s District tournament. Representing the C. C. Winn Mavericks at the district competition were three debate teams of Adrian Gonzalez and Isaac Turrubiate, Erik Chavarria and Juan Ortiz, and David Gonzalez and Francisco Becerril.
After the three rounds of preliminary debate, the Maverick debate teams of Adrian Gonzalez and Isaac Turrubiate and Erik Chavarria and Juan Ortiz both advanced to the semifinal rounds against debate teams from Nixon High School and Early College High school, both from Laredo.
Both Maverick teams won their semifinal round, which automatically advanced them to the state championship meet in Austin, Texas. This was familiar turf for Adrian Gonzalez and Issac Turrubiate who were in the same position last year when they advanced to state. For Erik Chavarria and Juan Ortiz, this was sweet revenge because last year at this point, they were defeated and ended up being awarded first alternate to the state meet. The new wrinkle was that they now had to face their teammates in the final championship round.
Rather than calling it a day and going home, both teams opted to debate the final round rather than the option of a coin flip to decide first and second places. In that tightly contested round that went the time limit of 80 minutes and a 2-1 judge panel split decision, Adrian Gonzalez and Issac Turrubiate narrowly defeated their teammates to win gold medals for the second year in a row in the District 29-5A UIL Cross-Examination Debate Championship. Awarded silver medals were Erik Chavarria and Juan Ortiz for their extraordinary second place win. The Maverick debate team’s performances also won the Championship Team Cross-Examination Debate plaque for C. C. Winn for the second year in a row in District 29-5A.
C. C. Winn High School Principal Jesus Diaz-Wever congratulates the whole Maverick CX Debate Team for their outstanding efforts and wishes them the best of luck to both qualifying teams in the upcoming state championship tournament next month in Austin. Go Mavericks, Win the Gold and Silver Medals at State!
