Lakeland District Debate Team Finishes Strong Season

CORTLANDT MANOR, NY — The Lakeland District Debate Team wrapped up its successful regular season in the New York City Urban Debate League, which held all of its competitions online this year.

At the recent City Championship Tournament, Walter Panas High School sophomore Alanalee Hughes finished seventh in individual competition out of approximately 300 students.

She was one of eight students from Walter Panas and Lakeland High School who competed in the March 13 tournament, which was the final competition in this year’s New York City Urban Debate League season.

After the tournament, Hughes finished the season with a rank of 32 out of 395 high school students in the greater New York City area. Lakeland High School sophomore Ilan Villard was ranked 36th for the season.

The rankings are based on a combination of competitive success and the level of participation throughout the season.

Debate coach Stefan Bauschard offered his congratulations to Hughes and Villard for their impressive finish this season.

“They both worked extremely hard and their high rankings are a credit to their perseverance and ability," he said. "It was great to see them succeed against some of the strongest debaters in the city.”

“I’m so proud of all of our students who competed this season, when everything was so different due to the pandemic,” Bauschard added.

In the all-girls Bella Abzug tournament March 19, Lakeland juniors Yazmine Sibiski and Grace Rice finished fourth. This was the first award for the debate partners, who joined the team in January.

The Bella Abzug Leadership Institute sponsors the annual tournament to provide girls with a unique opportunity for collaboration and conversation.

The Lakeland District Debate Team will compete at the state tournament April 9-10.