In the Apple Valley debate tournament Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, senior varsity debater Leah Shapiro made it to the semifinals after facing off against opponents from across the country. According to head debate coach Charles McClung, Shapiro is one of the most prominent debaters in the nation.

“Leah is undisputedly in the top three debaters in the country based on her results in the competitions she took place in this year,” McClung said.

According to Shapiro, her success was due partly to extensive preparation she put in before the season.

“I competed a few times, had practice debates and had Skype rounds with some of the best debaters in the country,” Shapiro said.

Despite recent varsity success, McClung said the team is preparing for upcoming junior varsity and novice tournaments.

“We are preparing for junior varsity and novice State, which is in the first week of December,” McClung said. “Varsity squad is doing a lot of work getting the novices ready for debate. It’s important to help the younger debaters on the team since they are the future of the program.”