SENATE RESOLUTION 26

(By Senators Ihlenfeld, Rucker, Jeffries, Clements, Lindsay, and Unger)

[Introduced March 22, 2021]

Congratulating the Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team for winning its 41st consecutive West Virginia Speech and Debate State Championship.

Whereas, On Saturday, March 13, 2021, the Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team won the 2021 West Virginia Speech and Debate State Championship, its 41st consecutive state championship win; and

Whereas, The Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team has shown incredible adaptability competing in the tournament virtually and resilience after last year’s tournament was canceled due to the pandemic the day before it would have begun; and

Whereas, The Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team competed in nine tournaments this season against schools from all across the country, and the team plans to compete in the National Catholic Forensic League 2021 Grand National Tournament; and

Whereas, The team is led by head coach Bill Cornforth, who has coached the team the last 42 years, and coaches Kayla Nelson, Isabella Droginske, and Jennifer Mathieu; and

Whereas, Team members Tyler Faulstick, Adeline Barbour, Jacqueline Heil, Alexis Hoskins, Lucia Perri, Dailey Ward, Eliza Aulick, Harper Aulick, Charles Ihlenfeld, Towne Moores, and Anthony Meisel were each state champions in an individual event, and Adesh Urval won the state championship in two individual events; and

Whereas, The Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team is an example of hard work, dedication, and professionalism, and an example of the kind of students that come out of our great state; and

Whereas, The historic legacy the Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team has created is something all West Virginians can be proud of; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby congratulates the Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team for winning its 41st consecutive West Virginia Speech and Debate State Championship; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Wheeling Park High School Speech and Debate Team.