Putting the sweep in sweepstakes, the debate team placed first in every category at Saturday’s  Prosper High School Fall Invitational taking titles in Cross Examination, Lincoln-Douglas, Informative Extemporaneous Speaking, and Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking.

Although there were many  individual awards, the win was a team effort.

“Winning first place definitely felt like a win not only for myself but also for my team,” junior Bella Devega said. “We’ve all been working really hard since the beginning of the year, and it feels really great to be able to contribute to that hard work and also see the results of that.”

Senior Amina Syeda placed first in the Lincoln Douglas debate and top speaker.

“I feel great about winning first place because this was my second competition in Lincoln Douglas debates and three years before I was doing CX so it was not really a major change but it was a change,” Syeda said. “I’m proud of myself for being able to adapt really quickly and being able to excel in this category.”

Debate goes beyond just arguing on topics to win awards as Devega feels that preparing for this competition helped her formulate her thoughts quicker.

“I definitely learned how to think on the spot,” Devega said. “When I was delivering my speech, I realized I wasn’t going to make the time limit which is five to seven minutes so I had to improvise and think on my feet which was something I struggled with last year. This competition definitely helped me with that.”

Even though the next debate competition isn’t until the UIL competitions in January, team members are already thinking about how to improve.

“I’m going to be using the critiques the judges of this past competition gave me, and continue to work on the things they suggested,” Devega said. “I’m also going to continue working with the rest of my team to add to our database so we’re prepared for any topic next time.

For students who want to compete in the future, senior Ria Bhasin recommends not to get caught up in the moment.

“Don’t forget to have fun while debating,” Bhasin said. “Often we get caught up in trying to win a competition that we forget to enjoy the process and the competition itself. These are the best memories that you’ll have  so cherish them.