Gibbons senior wins state title in Lincoln-Douglas Debate

By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

FORT LAUDERDALE | Cardinal Gibbons High School’s Speech and Debate team came back from Orlando this month with a state title and two other awards.

Gibbons senior Roberto Sosa won his second state title in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate category at the Florida Forensic League Varsity State Championship Tournament, held March 5-6, 2022 in Orlando.

Sophomore Vincent Caporella won fourth place in After Dinner Speaking, a new event with a humorous bent.

The high school also won an award for Best Small School Program based on the performance of all of its entries. The other team members who competed are sophomores Kaley Bevilacqua and Chloe Palmer. 

This was Sosa’s second win in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate category. He won his first state title as a sophomore in 2020, bringing home the first state win in Gibbons’ speech and debate history. It also was the first time a sophomore from any school had won the state championship since the Florida Forensic League was incorporated in 2003.

A recent edition of the school’s newsletter, The Chief, noted that Sosa joined the team as a freshman with no experience “but within a few months was out-debating varsity opponents.”

Sosa is now a National Speech & Debate Academic All-American, the third member of Gibbons’ team to earn that title in the past two years.

The Chief quoted the team’s moderator, Luiz Bravim, as saying, “Less than 2% of all speech and debate students each year quality for the honor based on NSDA points, GPA and test scores. He’s a remarkable young man.”