The speech and debate season has only just begun, but with three tournaments down, Miles McLendon (12) has managed to state qualify before the rest of his team.

Miles, who competes in an event called ‘Humorous Interpretation’, needed twelve state points to be considered qualified and he was rewarded fourteen.

“I was very surprised at the results. There was a lot of excitement involved. I was just real proud of the team and the coach for having my back and helping me get to this point,” McLendon said after winning first at the Clear Falls tournament.

McLendon competed in this same event last year, but only got one point the whole competition season.

“I’m looking forward to the experience of state, competing at the highest levels against the best. Hopefully, I’ll learn a few things,” McLendon said.

McLendon is also a part of theatre production and improv troupe, which he claims helps him when performing his humorous piece in front of an audience.

“I did more debate events my freshman and sophomore year, and they were extremely stressful. I mean I learned a lot, and I miss doing them sometimes, but the events I do now kind of draw-on my theatre skills and incorporate the things I’ve been working on for a while,” McLendon said.

Being on the team for all four years, McLendon has made friends with many people in varsity.

“I love the people, and the camaraderie between everyone,” McLendon said.

While he does not know if he will compete/attempt to qualify in another event, he has the rest of season to decide. Hopefully, Miles has set a trend for state qualifying debate members.