March 15, 2017, Santa Rosa — The Bear Cubs repeated their 2016 performance, being crowned as the 2017 state champions in parliamentary debate. 

State champions, again! The California Community College Forensics Association held its annual championship tournament at the Woodland Hills Marriott, just outside Los Angeles. After four days of completion, there were no more arguments: the Bear Cubs repeated their 2016 performance, being crowned as the 2017 state champions in parliamentary debate.  

Entering elimination rounds, Santa Rosa advanced the most teams. When the rounds ended and judges’ ballots were tallied, Santa Rosa orators captured gold, silver and bronze medals, earning more parliamentary debate sweepstakes points than all other competitors. 

Kevin McDermott-Swanson and Jimmy Henry led the way, capturing a gold medal. Kevin and Jimmy dropped only a single ballot out of twelve during the entire tournament. Earning a silver medal was the Bear Cub pair of Victoria Sheber and Kelsey McCaffrey. Adding to Santa Rosa’s sweepstakes point total were teams of Fletcher Wingfield/McKenna Peterson and Amber Nicholson/Doss Alahan, each earning bronze medals. 

In addition to Santa Rosa winning the team parliamentary debate championship and another general overall sweepstakes award, Henry Tolchard won a gold medal in National Forensics League Lincoln-Douglas debate and Victoria Sheber earned a silver medal in International Public Debate Association competition. 

"Coaches Susan Houlihan, Mark Nelson, and I applaud the dedicated efforts of our award winning competitors and we are grateful for the enthusiastic and generous support provided to our students by faculty and staff.  The invaluable efforts of SRJC alumni,  coaches Kevin Steeper and James Gooler-Rogers are also greatly appreciated," said SRJC Forensics Director Hal Sanford.