Six Iona Prep Students Compete In National Speech, Debate Tournament

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Six Iona Preparatory students were in Alabama last week, participating in the National Speech and Debate Tournament.

Noah Darden (center), along with state extemporaneous speaking semi-finalist Jacob Cannon (left) and state student congress semi-finalist Timothy Brisson (right), were among the six Gaels who qualified for the he National Speech and Debate Tournament
Photo Credit: *Charles Sloat*

Sam Barron

06/29/2017 4:00 p.m.

Three students nearly broke into the octo-finals while two advanced in supplemental categories.

Returning to Nationals for the third consecutive year was New Rochelle resident Noah Darden, a 2014 Iona Preparatory Lower School graduate and rising senior at the Upper School who has qualified for the national tournament since his freshman year. Darden broke into the top 100 nationally in the Prose and Poetry categories; he was eliminated after the sixth round in Prose and following the seventh round in Poetry.

Jacob Cannon, a sophomore from Katonah competing in Extemporaneous Speaking survived into the third round of Editorial Commentary.

Also represented by Iona Prep at the tournament were:

· Patterson junior Anthony Rizzo competing in Informative Speaking.

· White Plains junior Matthew Holderman competing in Informative Speaking.

· Yorktown Heights senior James Sloat competing in Humorous Interpretation.

· Pelham Manor senior Tim Brisson competing in Student Congress.

“We are extremely proud of these exceptional students for their accomplishments and for representing the Maroon and Gold admirably on a national stage,” said President Thomas Leto. “Our mission at Iona Prep is to develop young men into moral and ethical leaders who strive for spiritual, intellectual and physical excellence. Clearly, this group is on the right path."

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