Del Mar student wins grand championship for public speaking at Marin tournament

Del Mar Middle School seventh grader Bryce Phillips (second left) took home the grand championship at the 40th Margie Burke Speech Tournament in Ross on April 27. He was one of 11 students who participated for Del Mar, including silver medalists Henri Lesnik, Hugo Zorn and Khai Murad. (Via Del Mar Middle School)

A Del Mar Middle School student was crowned one of Marin’s top public speakers in his grade at a recent speech contest, where he picked up a gold, silver and bronze medal across three events.

Seventh-grader Bryce Phillips earned the grand championship trophy at the 40th Margie Burke Speech Tournament, held April 27 at Ross School.

“I feel really happy. It was really fun,” Bryce said in a May 8 interview, adding he “was pretty nervous in the first competition, but then it got really fun as it went on.”

Bryce, 13, was one of roughly 120 middle-schoolers who delivered some 200 speeches at the tournament, said Del Mar speech and math teacher Jamie Deppe, who also helps judge the competition.

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