Damien junior wins three state speech titles in one day
Not one. Not two. Chris Ballesteros, a DamienMemorialSchool
junior, took home three first place wins at the State Forensic Speech and
Debate finals, April 14, at PunahouSchool, conquering every
category he entered.
How rare is that? Well, Damien said the last time it happened was 17
years ago.
Ballesteros’ categories were U.S. extemporaneous speech, public
forum debate, and impromptu speaking.
It was his second state title in a row for impromptu. His partner in
public forum debate was Brack Duvall, another junior.
Ballesteros will bring his oratorical talents to Wichita,
Kan., in June for the U.S.
extemporaneous and public forum debate national championships. Impromptu is not
contested at the national level.
He was at the nationals last year, finishing in the top 100 in the
extemporaneous category.
The Damien student is the junior class president, a member of the
Honolulu Advertiser teen editorial board, a member of the mayor’s solid waste
advisory committee, and incoming president of Damien’s National Honor Society.
He aspires to a political career.
Who was the last state triple champion? Another Damien student, Chad
Ho, who took the 1990 U.S.
extemporaneous, Lincoln-Douglas debate and impromptu categories.
That year, according to Damien, Ho became the only Hawaii
student to ever win a national speech title when he captured the U.S.
extemporaneous championship.