Juniors Jaime Colon and Andrew Souther won Jesuit’s third straight PF district title and qualified to the National Championship.

Sophomore Robert Cerise won his first LD district title and qualified to the National Championship.

The Debate Team put on a dominant performance at the National Speech and Debate Association’s Louisiana District Championship in Natchitoches, Louisiana on the campus of Northwestern State University on March 18-19.

In Public Forum Debate (PF), the team of juniors Jaime Colon and Andrew Souther went undefeated en route to winning the title. This is Jesuit’s third consecutive PF District Championship and the first time Jesuit has ever won three straight PF District Championships. In 2015, the team of Rishab Chimmanamada ’15 and Mayank Mardia ’16 won the title for Jesuit, and in 2014, the team of Andrew Cerise ’16 and Mako Giordano ’15 won the first of three straight Blue Jay championships.

In Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD), sophomore Robert Cerise claimed the LD District Championship in an incredible unbeaten run that featured debates against some of Louisiana’s toughest competitors, including two consecutive debates against crosstown rival Holy Cross. This is the second straight LD title for Jesuit with senior Ben Gillen’s 2015 win. It is the first time in more than a decade that Jesuit has won back-to-back LD District Championships.

By virtue of their performances, Cerise, Colon, and Souther all qualified to the National Speech and Debate Association’s National Championship which will be held June 12-17, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Debate Team’s next competition is the Louisiana State Championship which will be held in New Orleans at Mount Carmel Academy from March 31 to April 2.