Rollins Debate Team Earns Top 3 Finish at Regional Tournament

Competing against more than 20 colleges and universities, five Rollins debaters combined for an impressive 19-6 record, placing the Tars ahead of established programs at larger institutions.

The tournament also produced several individual honors across multiple levels of competition.

• Ella Afrifa ’29 led the team with an undefeated 7-0 run through the novice division, earning both the Novice Debate Championship and the award for Top Novice Debate Speaker. Her performance continued Rollins’ strong trajectory in novice debate and demonstrated the depth of the program’s developing roster.
• Ella Hutsell ’29 also delivered an outstanding performance in the Junior Varsity division, advancing to the quarterfinal round and earning recognition as the second-place Junior Varsity Debate Speaker.
• Diego Alvarez ’30 was named the third-place Novice Debate Speaker, while Pristine Sitaula ’28 advanced to the Novice Debate quarterfinals.

Rollins also found success beyond debate competition:

• Gisele Bourbeau earned fourth place in Dramatic Interpretation with her piece exploring domestic partner abuse, extending the team’s competitive presence into individual speaking and performance events.

During the previous 2025–26 season, Rollins students won the Florida Varsity Debate Championship as well as Top Novice and third-place overall debate awards at the National Speech Championship.

“I could not be prouder of what these students have accomplished in such a short period of time,” says debate coach and communication professor David Painter. “To finish among the top three programs at a tournament of this size—while also earning individual championships, speaker awards, and elimination-round appearances—shows just how quickly this team has grown. More importantly, our students continue to support one another, challenge themselves, and represent Rollins with tremendous energy and professionalism.”