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 Northern California Forensics Association (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
