BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Stockdale High School Speech and Debate Team recently traveled to Fresno to compete for the Valley Championship. However, it wasn't the typical championship for Stockdale, as it was their 10th consecutive title run. Their win at this year's championship is now adding to their legacy as a dynasty.
Vaibhav Aggarwal, one of the team captains for the Stockdale Speech and Debate Team, acknowledges the pressure that comes along with attempting to win a 10th consecutive Valley Championship back in March.
"Mrs. Huddleston actually texted us 'We are probably going to win,' and I, like, jumped out of my seat because there was so much stress, so much pressure, waking up and then having to go over, and then competing all day," said Aggarwal. "It's like your nerves do get frayed, but once you win it was like a large weight off their shoulders."
Aggarwal adds that his attitude going into the competition was to remain humble and determined.
"In my mind, like, we are not elite. We are just another school who manages to win because we do that preparation, and we can lose that if we don't do that preparation," said Aggarwal. "That's my aspect, how I approach it."
Fellow team captain Mehreen Chowdhurry also says the group would not be where they are without their coach.
"If I didn't have such an encouraging and honest and compassionate forensics coach, I probably don't know what I would do, how I would do in this team," said Chowdhurry.
Chowdhurry says Coach Crystal Huddleston is one of the main reasons she decided to do speech and debate.
Prior to Huddleston taking over the coaching role, Stockdale High Debate had already won 3 consecutive titles. Now with Huddleston as coach, they have won another 7 in a row. Huddleston says the students have worked hard and deserve all the success.
"Not only does this help them build community and work together on a team this massive, but this also means that they are learning their own content better," said Huddleston.
The Stockdale team would accumulate enough points from individual competitions to lead them as a team to their 10th Valley Championship title. Now the team will send more than 30 students to compete from April 21 to 23 in the State Championships, and at least 10 students will be in the National Championships.
Chowdhurry and Aggarwal will be going to both competitions.
"We've been fortunate enough because we have done the work, so let's keep doing the work. Let's keep doing that, and let's keep winning as a result," said Aggarwal.
Coach Huddleston says the goal is always to win, and they have no doubt that they will compete again next year and take home Stockdale's 11th consecutive Valley Championship.
