Staff report
ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Students from across Alachua County delivered extraordinary performances at the America 250 – The Great Debate National Civics & DebateChampionship, held January 16–19, 2026, in Orlando. Local students earned a remarkable share of awards and top honors against national competition, and Lincoln Middle School eighth-grader Avinoor Jutla was named the Overall Middle School Tournament Champion.
The championship featured more than 600 student competitors from Florida and 14 other states. With a limited number of trophies awarded, every trophy signified a result in the top 5% of all competitors nationwide…