BEST US-Qualifier Tournament at AUBG, Blagoevgrad – April 1-2, 2017

On 1-2 April, the BEST Foundation hosted its fourth annual US Qualifier tournament and selected 6 students who are eligible to attend the American National Speech and Debate Association’s national tournament. More than sixty students from across the country competed at this tournament, which was held at American University in Bulgaria in Blagoevgrad. The university, a long-time BEST partner, hosted its a BEST tournament for the fifth year in a row.

Student competed in two events: Original Oratory (in which students write and perform their own 10 minute speeches) and Duo Interpretation (students interpret a published piece in teams of two). First and second place finishers in each event qualified to attend the American national tournament which will be held in Birmingham, Alabama on June 18-23, 2017. This year’s winners names can be found below in bold and come from Blagoevgrad, Sofia, and Burgas.

Below are the names of participating teams and the list of awards.

Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad
Geo Milev ELHS, Burgas
Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS, Lovech
Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana
Bertolt Brecht FLHS, Pazardzhik
Nikola Vaptsarov SS, Petrich
Peyo Yavorov High School, Petrich
Simeon Radev FLHS, Pernik
Foreign Language High School, Pleven
Aleko Konstantinov FLHS, Pravets
Geo Milev ELHS, Ruse
Atanas Burov Economics HS, Silistra
Elisaveta Bagryana 51st School, Sofia
Thomas Jefferson SELS, Sofia

AWARDS

ORIGINAL ORATORY

Semifinalists

  • Veselina Balabanova – Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

  • Kristiana Dimitrova – Geo Milev ELHS, Ruse

  • Patrisia Gospodinova – Thomas Jefferson SELS, Sofia

  • Stanislava Stefanova – Peyo Yavorov High School, Petrich

  • Bilyana Kostadinova – Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana

  • Simona Koleva – Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS, Lovech

Finalists

  1. Stefani Chobanova – Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

  2. James Mott – Geo Milev ELHS, Burgas

  3. Latina Penkova – Foreign Language High School, Pleven

  4. Alexandra Petkova – Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana

  5. Mario Mateev – Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

  6. Alexandra Guleva – Bertolt Brecht FLHS, Pazardzhik

DUO INTERPRETATION

Semifinalists

  • Mario Mateev and Marieta Milusheva – Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

  • Rositsa Metodieva and Siyana Tsvetkova – Foreign Language High School, Pleven

  • Nikolai Gaidarov and Georgi Petkov – Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana

  • Alexander Petrov and Martina Kao – Thomas Jefferson SELS, Sofia

  • Hristina Todorova and Kristina Vitanova – Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS, Lovech

Finalists

  1. Kristiana Hristova and Bozhidar Stoyanov – Elisaveta Bagryana 51st School, Sofia

  2. Neli Velichkova and Magdalena Tancheva – Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

  3. Alexandrina Naydenova and Melani Mihaylova – Petar Bogdan FLHS, Montana

  4. Patrisia Gospodinova and Petra Gocheva – Thomas Jefferson SELS, Sofia

  5. Alexandrina Andonova and Antoniya Rusalieva – Akad. Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

  6. Mirela Georgieva and Simona Koleva – Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS, Lovech

BEST Foundation