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The Diablo Valley College Speech & Debate Team delivered an extraordinary performance at the Northern California Speech & Debate Championships, held February 20–22, 2026, at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.

Hosted by the (NCFA), the Spring Championship is a premier regional tournament that brings together top two- and four-year colleges from across Northern California to compete in a wide range of speech and debate events. Over three demanding days, students showcased their skill, preparation and resilience.

DVC rose to the challenge with a commanding victory, recapturing the overall team championship with an impressive 324 points, finishing nearly 200 points ahead of all other colleges in attendance.  

This achievement is a testament to the students’ dedication, countless hours of preparation, and commitment to competitive excellence. Their success highlights the strength of DVC’s Speech & Debate program and its continued leadership in the region.

The team extends a heartfelt thank you to the entire DVC community for its ongoing encouragement and support. A special appreciation goes to the Communication Studies department for its steadfast commitment to student success and competitive forensics.  

Below is a list of awards earned at the championship.

• DVC – Northern California Championships - Overall 1st Place
• 1st Place:
  • Nour Barakat – Dramatic Interpretation
  • Nour Barakat – Poetry Interpretation
  • Daniel Mendelson & Robert Erwin – Duo Interpretation
  • Kenza Aya Dje – Prose Interpretation
  • Adrian Losada – Parliamentary Debate Speaker
  • Chase Hatfield – Junior International Public Debate
  • Gage Walker – Junior International Public Debate
  • Kana McNiff – Junior International Public Debate
  • Chase Hatfield & Ian Kusmiantoro – Junior Parliamentary Debate
  • Ian Kusmiantoro – Junior Lincoln Douglas Debate Speaker
  • Frank Quintanilla – Junior Parliamentary Debate Speaker
  • Garett Slody – Novice Prose Interpretation
  • Sommer Stirm – Novice Dramatic Interpretation
  • Sommer Stirm – Novice Program Oral Interpretation
• 2nd Place:
  • Emma Chigbu – Communication Analysis
  • Emma Chigbu – Poetry Speaking
  • Azlan Brown – Program Oral Interpretation
  • Christina Sun – Persuasive Speaking
  • Christina Sun – Lincoln Douglas Debate (Semi-Finalist)
  • Ian Kusmiantoro – Lincoln Douglas Debate (Semi-Finalist)
  • Christina Sun & Garret Slody – Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
  • Adrian Losada & Hanna Schroer – Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
  • Frank Quintanilla & Zenadin Zeric – Junior Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
  • Gage Walker & Kana McNiff – Junior Parliamentary Debate (Semi-Finalist)
  • Suren Paterson – Junior Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Aleena Alama – Junior International Public Debate Speaker
  • Eilidh Kilpatrick – Junior Impromptu Speaking
  • Tim Sherry – Novice Prose Interpretation
• 3rd Place:
  • Robert Erwin & Kenza Aya Dje – Duo Interpretation
  • Alina Mohammadian – Program Oral Interpretation
  • Kylie Bryan – Poetry Interpretation
  • Kylie Bryan – After Dinner Speaking
  • Emma Chigbu – Prose Interpretation
  • Christina Sun – Parliamentary Debate Speaker
  • Eilidh Kilpatrick – Junior Communication Analysis
  • Francisco Romero – Novice Program Oral Interpretation
  • Sayara Rozymuradova – Novice Prose Interpretation
  • Ian Kusmiantoro – Lincoln Douglas Debate Speaker
  • Alexis Manchouk – Novice International Public Debate (Quarter-Finalist)
  • Chappy Daviyikin – Novice International Public Debate (Quarter-Finalist)
• 4th Place:
  • Daniel Mendelson – Dramatic Interpretation
  • Nour Barakat – After Dinner Speaking
  • Christina Sun – Lincoln Douglas Debate Speaker
  • Gage Walker – Junior International Public Debate Speaker
  • Alina Mohammadian – Junior Persuasive Speaking
  • Sunny Attar – Novice Informative Speaking
  • Maya Higgins – Novice Program Oral Interpretation
• Finalists:
  • Kylie Bryan – Dramatic Interpretation
  • Azlan Brown & Emma Chigbu – Duo Interpretation
  • Alina Mohammadian & Daniel Mendelson – Duo Interpretation
  • Robert Erwin – Prose Interpretation
  • Kylie Bryan – Prose Interpretation
  • Eilidh Kilpatrick – Program Oral Interpretation
  • Suren Paterson – Junior Impromptu
  • Zenadin Zeric – Junior Parliamentary Debate Speaker
  • Ian Flores – Novice Dramatic Interpretation
  • Matt Ng – Novice Prose Interpretation
  • Freddy Aguirre – Novice Persuasive Speaking
  • Maya Higgins – Novice Persuasive Speaking