UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA – Five Upper St. Clair High School seniors have earned Academic All-American Awards from the National Speech & Debate Association. Claire Chen, Devan Ekbote, Mathena Jencka, Sunny Chai and Anika Sinha have been honored for their academic rigor, competitive speech and debate success, and personal excellence. From more than 141,000 student members of the National Speech & Debate Association, fewer than one percent of students earn the Academic All-American Award each year. “This tremendous accomplishment places these students among the top one-percent of all student members across the country,” J. Scott Wunn, executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association, said in a statement. “The All-American Award recognizes students who have completed at least five semesters of high school; earned the degree of Superior Distinction in our Honor Society (a total of 750 or more merit points); achieved rigorous criteria for grade point average and/or test score requirements; and demonstrated outstanding character and leadership.”Subscribe