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Contact: 781-585-7511
Sacred Heart School senior Adam Tomasi of Kingston named Top LincolnDouglas Debater in Massachusetts; goes undefeated at MSDL State
Championship Tournament held at Boston Latin School
Kingston resident Adam Tomasi, a senior at Sacred Heart School in Kingston
(www.sacredheartkingston.com), has a new honor to add to his impressive
record as a debater. He went undefeated at the Massachusetts Speech and
Debate League (MSDL) State Championship Tournament held this week at
Boston Latin High School, and has been crowned the top Lincoln - Douglas
Debater in Massachusetts.
Tomasi won unanimous decisions from six judges in both the semi and final
round to claim the top honors.
This win comes on the heels of a number of other victories, including one
last fall where he topped 55 national debaters from across the United States
and took first place in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Wake Forest
University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
He has since been accepted to Wake Forest, and he has also earned that school’s President’s
Scholarship, which is valued at $40,000 over four years.
For Adam Tomasi, being in the national debate spotlight is nothing new. Last summer he participated in
the NFL Nationals (National Speech & Debate Association) at a Kansas City, MO tournament, where he
also tested his skills in the Lincoln-Douglas debating style, among 2000 students.
Tomasi, who has been a Sacred Heart student since his days in kindergarten, is regarded as the best
debater that Sacred Heart School has. In fact, according to Speech and Debate Coach Daniel Sapir,
“Adam is the best debater I have ever worked with, and what a wonderful accomplishment his latest
win is. Adam deserves our heartiest congratulations for this great accomplishment.”
The Sacred Heart School Speech and Debate Program (www.sacredheartkingston.com) is a strong,
nationally ranked program, offering instruction to students beginning as early as 6th grade. Sacred Heart
students travel nationally for competitions.
“Adam began when he was an 8th grade student,” said Sapir, who recalls that his student earned a First
Place in a Lincoln-Douglas Invitational that year at Columbia University.
Sapir noted that Adam’s preparation for national competitions is different than that of other students in
different schools where there are multiple team members. Often, he makes different arrangements in
his out-of-school debate prep, including working with the network of debaters he has built up over the
years. His out-of-class debate preparation is with colleagues and friends all over the country via Skype,
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which helps him prepare for both sides of the same argument. “Being able to think quickly on your feet
is key to succeeding, because at a moment’s notice, an opponent can require us to change direction,”
Tomasi said.
In his earliest competition at Columbia University, he was competing with 16-year olds when he as an
eighth grader. And his pace has continued to pick up. In January of last year, he competed successfully at
the Columbia University National Tournament in New York City; and in February, his travels took him to
the NFL Nationals Qualifiers, Manchester-Essex, MA (Top seed, undefeated, Lincoln-Douglas) and to the
Boston Catholic Forensic League Qualifiers, Shrewsbury (where he qualified for nationals). He earned
the Top Speaker award at the Harvard University Invitational Debate Tournament in Cambridge, MA,
and recently automatically qualified for the Tournament of Champions, at the University of Kentucky.
This tournament will take place in June.
Tomasi will also be in Dallas in June, to compete in the National Speech and Debate Association
competition.
Pamela Desmarais, President of Sacred Heart School, said, “Our entire school family continues to be so
proud of Adam and all that he has been able to accomplish. He is an exceptional student and debater
and we know that he will continue to excel.” She continued, “We are all very proud, also, of our
outstanding Speech and Debate program that sets us apart from so many other schools.”
About Sacred Heart School
Sacred Heart is a private, co-educational Catholic school system, which provides educational
opportunities for students throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, from preschool
through grade 12. As a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence, Sacred Heart School
strives to inspire minds, define character and encourage responsible leadership through a curriculum
that prepares students to pursue knowledge throughout their lives. The school provides students with a
strong liberal arts curriculum, and integrates technology into the hands of students with its One to One
iPad Program. Sacred Heart also offers extensive athletic, arts and extra-curricular activities for
students. The school system serves students on a beautiful, expansive campus on Route 80 that
includes three school buildings, a central administrative office, and athletic fields and facilities. Sacred
Heart School welcomes students of all faiths and diverse backgrounds. The school prides itself in a
commitment to developing the whole student, offering an independent school atmosphere and top-tier
academics. Pamela Desmarais serves as the school’s President. The Sacred Heart campus is located at
251-399 Bishops Highway, Kingston, MA 02364. For additional information about the school, please visit
www.sacredheartkingston.com or call 781-585-7511.
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