Local Student Ranks 7^th in the Nation in Public Speaking (Press Release)

Justin Mahood, a 2004 graduate of North Catholic High School and a resident of Butler County, recently earned national ranking in competitive speaking when he attended the National Forensic League Tournament held at Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mahood qualified to the annual competition in student congress. He was one of 432 students who qualified for national congressional debate out of the 7500 students making the attempt. Mahood competed for two days in the senate, and then, when he did not move on to advanced competition in student congress, he entered the supplemental categories of prose interpretation and extemporaneous commentary.

Mahood started with 250 other prose readers and finished, after four rounds of competition, in the top 50%. In extemp commentary, Mahood started with 350 other competitors, and finished 7^th in the nation.

During his four years of forensic competition at North Catholic, Mahood normally spoke in the area of humorous interpretation of literature. He won several awards over the years, including a 5^th place state ranking his junior year and a 7^th place state ranking his senior year. Mahood also represented the diocese of Pittsburgh at the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament in Arlington VA his junior year, and at the same annual tournament in Boston MA his senior year. Other past awards include top five placements at local and regional tournaments, including those held at Bethel Park, Mercer and North Hills.

Mahood is double ruby member of the National Forensic League, having accumulated well over the 500 points necessary for this honor. Points are earned based on the number of times that a student competes and the success that the student achieves.

Mahood was coached by Ms. Beth Young, a double diamond coach in the National Forensic League. Young, a teacher for the past 25 years at North Catholic, has coached over a dozen students to state championships in various categories and, with Mahood, five students to top ten national rankings. She is a member of the Pennsylvania High School Speech League Hall of Fame and serves on executive boards for all three of the high school forensic leagues.

Mahood plans to continue his studies by earning a degree in biomedical engineering at Duke University. Other interests of Mahood include science (PJAS participant), music (marching band drum major his senior year) and theater (directed, played in the pit and acted the lead in North Catholic’s three theatrical productions his senior year). His hobbies include computers and video production.