Waking up extra early on Saturday mornings, Dylan Molter and Adam Stano put on their suits and dress shoes and head to school. Unlike most high school students, on their days off, Molter and Stano commit their Saturdays to their passion for competing in debate.
Molter and Stano are both seniors at Revere High School who compete within Revere’s speech and debate team. They both started in eighth grade and debated with the team throughout their high school career. What started as just a fun club their friends told them to join turned into one of their biggest dedications and something they have become proficient in.
This year, the duo has done so well that they pre-qualified for the State Finals early in the season. Hanna Steinker, Revere’s Program Adviser for High School and Middle School Speech and Debate teams, explained what this means for the two of them.
“Adam and Dylan pre-qualified to State Finals back in December as they earned the needed four bids to pre-qualify. To win the bids, students have to place in the top four to six places at weekend tournaments,” Stenker said.
While this success is huge for the two, and the team in general, accomplishments like this within Speech and Debate are not out of the ordinary for them. Steinker explains how she knew the two were something special once she first saw them compete.
“I knew that Dylan and Adam were once in a lifetime students right out of the gate their freshman year. They qualified to the State Finals their freshman year, which isn’t an easy feat,” Steinker said.
Not only do their coaches believe in their potential, but the two are humble and confident. Being such close teammates and friends, Stano expressed what he believes makes the duo so successful.
“We have always had faith in ourselves to perform at the highest level, despite whatever challenges we might face. We definitely put in the most work this year and our determination propelled us to where we are now,” Stano said.
This hard work between the two has reflected this season through their awards. Molter explained what he and Stano have accomplished this year.
“Adam and I have been ranked as high as 30th in the nation out of 5000 competitors. Individually I am ranked number one in Ohio and Adam is ranked number four, earning us both the National Speech and Debate Academic All-American Scholar awards, and Outstanding Distinction degrees,” Molter said.
While the two work hard and compete at such high levels, they make time to improve and support the rest of the debate team. Molter explained how some of his favorite memories are from helping underclassmen debaters also have success.
“I think our biggest accomplishment has been helping our junior team (Anthony DeReubeis and Eddie Liu) bid out (to earn a bid, students have to place in the top 4-6 places at weekend tournaments) for the first time. Helping our freshman debaters improve drastically has also been a major accomplishment,” Molter said.
The duo possesses great team building skills that their coaches notice, and their support continues to help build the rest of the team’s success. Steinker explained that their leadership has left a lasting impact on Revere’s Speech and Debate program.
“I would argue that they’ve done a fantastic job coaching and mentoring the younger students. We are confident that their wisdom has helped leave a foundation of excellence for all six of the remaining students,” Steinker said.
As much support as they give to the team, Stano and Molter receive just as much reinforcement from their fellow debate team members. The two have so much thanks for the group, and their coaches who aided them to get where they are today.
“Our teammates and coaches have been our biggest supporters this season, and we could not be where we are without them,” Stano said.
At the end of the day, they can really narrow down most of their success to their close bond and ability to work together. Molter explained what seems to keep them winning is their cohesiveness and their friendship.
“The biggest contributor to our success is Adam and my cohesiveness as a duo. We have been friends since elementary school and both have a similar vision for each round, making our partnership strong,” Molter said.
A key to their continual triumph comes from their dedication and focus to the team and the activity in general. Coach Steinker can attest that although the two have faced setbacks, they are always looking humbly ahead despite their young age.
“They’ve faced hardships and frustrations, but have also seen what success looks like and are humbled by their own accomplishments. That’s very rare, especially for two seventeen year olds,” Steinker said.
The two have shown dedication and support to the rest of the team. So much so that their coaches feel a need to welcome them back after they graduate. Steinker explained what she would want them to do for debate in the near future.
“We would like to welcome both young men back as assistant coaches next season if they wanted to be, that’s how much of a positive impact they’ve had on their own teammates and their coaches,” Steinker said.
Their hard work is what will lead them to finish this season off strong. Stano explained that the team is doing even better than they did last year.
“The team has come leaps and bounds from where we were last year. We proudly boast that we are the best public forum team in the state,” Stano said.
As the season is nearing an end, the group will head to the State Finals tournament on March 1 and 2, when the team will hope to prove that they are the states best team. This weekend, the team will compete in a tournament that determines if the team gets a bid to qualify for the National tournament this June, held in Iowa.
For the dynamic duo of Stano and Molter, they have some big things in store for their senior season.They both have a bid to the Tournament of Champions in Kentucky this April, which is one of the most prestigious debate tournaments in the country.
Their hard work has paid off the past five years and Stano and Molter have received great accomplishments and achieved a great deal during their time on the Revere Speech and Debate team. In the near future, the two can look forward to some important competitions and milestones ahead.
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