Debaters from the Sonoma Marin Debate Society won the tournament sweepstakes prize at the recent annual St. Vincent de Paul Speech and Debate Tournament for junior high students. More than 150 sixth, seventh and eighth graders competed in the annual event.

Cameron Keller, a seventh grader from Healdsburg Junior High, teamed with Noah Gannon, a seventh grader, from St. Isabella School of San Rafael to ring up an undefeated record at the contest. Katharine Arnaud, a seventh grader from St. Isabella, was named best individual debater for 2011, according to the team coach Jack Strange.

Strange sent along these results:

Undefeated (won 4 of 4 rounds)

Cameron Keller & Noah Gannon

Winning Record (won 3 of 4 rounds)

Peter Lindee & Adrienne Sarasy

Meagan Abbey & Joe Elliott

Katherine Arnaud & Charlie May

Taylor Gallagher & Brooke Brewer

Chloe Campbell & Natalie Ho

Julia Hunter & Allison Schaum

Sabrina Masterson & Julian Hinojosa

Individual Debaters (out of 62 competing)

1st Place                Katherine Arnaud

2nd Place              Cameron Keller

4th Place               Meagan Abbey

9th Place               Noah Gannon

10th Place (tie)     Peter Lindee

                                                Sabrina Masterson

Sweepstakes (team with the best overall tournament record for all events, not just debate)

                1st Place                Sonoma Marin Debate Society

The team is unaffiliated with any single school but is open to any student who wants to join a tournament team. It meets twice weekly, in Santa Rosa and San Rafael.