At the National Speech & Debate Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, Athens High School senior Matthew Hernandez, who had previously never competed in extemporaneous debate, advanced through nine rounds to finish among the top 30 in the nation. There were 777 students in the first round. Hernandez qualified to compete in extemp as a supplemental event after having earlier advanced through nine rounds of policy debate, his main event. (Courtesy photo)