@nsda.speechanddebate
From the Tournament Director
This summer, the 2025 National Tournament returned to Greater Des Moines in Iowa. Inside this special issue of Rostrum, we recognize our award winners, commemorate a century of speech and debate, and honor the educational value of our beloved activity.
The National Tournament is a space to celebrate our community—your months of hard work and dedication, as well as the courage to share your unique talents on a national stage. An incident this year disrupted that. But your resilience and resolve in the face of crisis showed the power of the NSDA community when we all pull together.
As Emmy award-winning storyteller David Begnaud poignantly stated during the Friday evening National Awards Assembly: “Today we remember that courage is not just something you demonstrate behind a podium—it’s something you live out in real time, in the face of the unexpected. Each and every one of you earned your place here at this Centennial Celebration. One hundred years of speech and debate—one hundred years of brilliant minds, powerful voices, and yes, moments that challenge us and remind us why our voices matter.”
Over the next five years, the National Speech & Debate Association has set an ambitious goal to double our impact and ensure there are speech and debate programs in more than 8,000 schools, serving more than 200,000 students across the nation.
We plan to partner with the speech and debate community to continue our work preparing students to navigate the challenges of the 21st century—encouraging young people to think critically, speak with empathy, and solve tough problems together.
In 2026, the National Tournament travels to Richmond, Virginia. As the new season starts, we cannot wait to see what incredible new heights you all will reach on the road to Nationals next year. Our team is already working behind the scenes to make the event a safe and rewarding experience. As always, we remain grateful for the strength, resilience, and unity of the NSDA community. Thank you for your continued partnership and for everything you do for your students.
Sincerely,
J. Scott Wunn
Executive Director
6600 Westown Parkway Suite 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266 | Phone (920) 748-6206
J. Scott Wunn, Publisher
Amy Seidelman, Editor
Vicki Joss, Managing Editor
Annie Reisener, Associate Editor
Emily Bratton, Graphic Designer
Board of Directors
Byron R. Arthur President Louisiana
David Huston
Vice President
Texas
Jamelle M. Brown
Kansas
Sara Gibson Washington, D.C.
Adam J. Jacobi Wisconsin
Erez Kalir California
Anoop Mishra Treasurer Alabama
Renee C. Motter
Colorado
Wendy Orthman California
Esther Oyetunji
Florida
To learn more about the Board and for contact information, please visit www.speechanddebate.org/ meet-the-team. Rostrum
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Rostrum (ISSN 1073-5526), Copyright © 2025 by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), is published five times per year (Sept., Nov., Feb., Apr., and Aug.) by the NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway Ste 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Business and Editorial Offices: NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway Ste 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Accounting and Circulation Offices: NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway Ste 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Call (920) 748-6206 to subscribe. Periodicals postage is paid at Des Moines, IA 50318, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Rostrum, c/o NSDA, 6600 Westown Parkway Ste 270, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Rostrum provides a forum for the speech and debate community. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and not necessarily the opinions of the NSDA, its officers, or its members. The National Speech & Debate Association does not guarantee advertised products and services unless sold directly by the NSDA.
James W. Rye III Alabama
Josh Swartsel Washington, D.C.
Holly Williams
Secretary, Administrative Rep Arizona
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Our generous sponsors make the National Tournament possible! Thank you for showing your commitment to fostering excellence in young people through speech and debate activities.
PLATINUM LEVEL GOLD LEVEL
SILVER LEVEL RUBY LEVEL
FRED MAYTAG FAMILY FOUNDATION
SAPPHIRE LEVEL
DONUS AND LOVILA ROBERTS
RODNEY AND CINDI SAVOY
RICHARD BITNER JAMES M. COPELAND
EMERALD LEVEL
THE RICHARD DAVOUD DONCHIAN FOUNDATION
DR. MIKE EDMONDS
A. C. ELEY FUND
CARMENDALE FERNANDES FUND
THE JEPS FOUNDATION
LANGGIN VENTURES, LLC
TOM AND VICKI ROLLINS JOE AND PAM WYCOFF
VICTOR JIH
ADAM AND ASHLEY JOHNSON
HAROLD C. KELLER FUND
MCCARTHEY FAMILY FOUNDATION
HARLAND B. MITCHELL FUND
LANNY D. AND B. J. NAEGELIN FUND
SANDRA SILVERS FUND
RICHARD B. SODIKOW FUND
WILLIAM WOODS TATE, JR., FUND
TINA WANG FUND
NATS25 IN PHOTOS
Registration and Expo
The Iowa Events Center hosted teams from around the world for tournament registration, the expo, and one of two exclusive preview screenings of the independent documentary SPEAK. At the NSDA Store, attendees lined up to snag the plushie version of Sparky, the NSDA’s official mascot, while the life-size version greeted attendees.
District Leadership Reception and Awards Ceremony
At the 2025 District Leadership Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, Jeff Stutzman from the Northeast Indiana District received the Ralph E. Carey Award for Distinguished Career Service. Leilani McHugh from the West Los Angeles (CA) District was awarded Chair of the Year. Phillip Helt from the Show Me (MO) District was recognized for Best Chair Communications. Victoria Castro-Henriquez from the Big Valley (CA) District was named Best New Chair. Other district chairs from across the country received Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards for their outstanding leadership.
Chair of the Year
Leilani McHugh West Los Angeles District
Ralph E. Carey Award
Jeff Stutzman Northeast Indiana District
Best Chair Communications
Phillip Helt Show Me District
Best New Chair
Victoria Castro-Henriquez Big Valley District
Three-time Original Oratory champion Esther Oyetunji spoke with district leaders.
100th Birthday Party at Blank Park Zoo
We continued our celebration of 100 years of speech and debate at Blank Park Zoo, which featured food trucks, a DJ dance party, a scavenger hunt with prizes, and a chance for teams to check out the animals. The birthday party was held in conjunction with high school supplemental-only and middle school registration and included opportunities to chat with expo vendors and shop the NSDA Store.
Which animal is your speech and debate alter ego?
https://tinyurl.com/mfs39y63
Hall of Fame Banquet
The NSDA held a special gathering for Hall of Fame members
Wednesday evening at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. The NSDA proudly inducted 11 new members this year, including Susan L. Anderson from North Dakota, Leonard Augustine Jr. from Louisiana, Dr. Sandra Berkowitz from Minnesota, Janice Caldwell from Texas, Lois Gorne from Washington, Chuck Nicholas from South Carolina, Shane Stafford from Minnesota, Suzanne Terry from Tennessee, Douglas (Doug) Tschetter from South Dakota, James (Jim) Wakefield from Florida, and Derek Yuill from California.
For more photos and bios of Hall of Fame members, visit: www.speechanddebate.org/ hall-of-fame
Susan L. Anderson
Leonard Augustine Jr.
Dr. Sandra Berkowitz
Lois Gorne
Chuck Nicholas
Shane Stafford
Doug Tschetter
Jim Wakefield
Derek Yuill
Suzanne Terry
Janice Caldwell
James Copeland, NSDA Director Emeritus and 1978 Hall of Fame Inductee
Angad Singh captured the NSDA Original Oratory national title with his powerful speech “Living on a Prayer,” urging listeners to transform heartfelt prayers into purposeful action. Watch as the newly crowned national champion breaks down the passion, purpose, and personal story behind his award-winning speech on CBS Mornings https://tinyurl.com/2wpmm5bv
Speech Events
High school students competed in 15 different speech categories, showcasing their talents and vying for prestigious awards and scholarships. On the public address side, students wrote original speeches—either in advance or with limited preparation—that answered a question, shared a belief, persuaded an audience, or educated the listener on a range of topics. Meanwhile, among the interpretation events—which often appeal to those who enjoy acting and theatre—students selected and performed cuttings from various genres of published material.
Debate Events
High school competitors also participated in several different styles of debate throughout the week, including Big Questions, Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Public Forum, and World Schools, with more than 1,000 students in Extemporaneous Debate later in the week. Each debate event challenged individuals or teams of students to persuasively argue for and against a variety of thought-provoking topics.
The 2025 National Tournament was featured in The Hechinger Report, highlighting how NSDA students use speech and debate to navigate tough conversations and find common ground— even when they disagree. Check out this powerful look at the impact of our community!
https://tinyurl. com/393z5apz
Congressional Debate
A total of 640 high school debaters started off the week seeking championships in the House and the Senate. Judge June Berry Darensburg of the Louisiana Judiciary attended Monday’s opening assembly and delivered remarks. Congressional Debate is among the oldest events offered by the NSDA, first established in 1938. Since it simulates the real United States legislature, we were especially honored to convene the final sessions of the National Congress at the Iowa State Capitol during our centennial year!
The 2025 Congressional Debate finals were held under the golden dome of the iconic Iowa State Capitol. Watch the House and Senate final sessions via the livestream archive: www.speechanddebate.org/ nationals-2025-livestream-archive
LIVESTREAM PRESENTED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR SPEECH AND DEBATE
Judge June Berry Darensburg
Congressional Debate Co-chair Kimberly Bayan-Berlat
Middle School National Tournament
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the National Junior Forensic League, founded in 1995. More than 800 students from nearly 200 schools and five different countries attended the Middle School National Tournament, which is an invitational open to all middle school NSDA members. Middle school students competed in 18 different speech and debate categories, advancing from early preliminary rounds to the final round stage.
Check out the tournament from the perspective of our youngest competitors in the middle school hype video. https://youtu.be/KoZcv5wyJLU
For years, Hawaii district chair Karen Miyakado has arranged the vibrant leis presented to each national champion, adding color and joy to the awards ceremony. In honor of the aloha spirit she has shared with the NSDA community, this special tradition is now named the Karen Miyakado Hawaiian Lei Tradition.
NSDA alum, three-time national champion, and 2025 Communicator of the Year recipient Josh Gad surprised the Nats25 finalists at sound check. Watch the memorable moment! https://tinyurl.com/yh7jf39k
David Begnaud, Tournament Emcee
2025 Communicator of the Year Josh Gad greets finalists at sound check
New Nine-Diamond Coach Paul Gieringer with Donus Roberts
Lifetime Service Award Recipient Dr. Alan Coverstone with President Byron Arthur
Awards and Recognition
Often likened to the “Oscars” of our activity, Friday’s Awards Assembly was held on the Timothy E. Sheaff National Awards Stage and emceed by CBS journalist and storyteller David Begnaud. From recognizing the middle and high school national champions to surprising deserving coaches, alumni, and supporters, the evening reaffirmed our community’s broad reach, talent, and strength.
The NSDA dedicated the National Awards Stage in memory of Timothy E. Sheaff in 2024 and 2025: www.vimeo.com/970142231/0606ad922e
In 2025, we proudly introduced the David Huston Final Round Judge Pin to honor the National Tournament’s final round judges whose dedication reflects Dave’s legacy of leadership, service, and advocacy for the vital role of judging in speech and debate.
Coach Reggie Chapman, sings Lift Every Voice and Sing
WILLIAM WOODS TATE, JR.,
National Student of the Year
Six finalists participated in an interview process with the national panel of judges who selected the 2025 William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year, one of the most honorable and renowned student awards presented by the National Speech & Debate Association.
Taite Kirkpatrick, representing the Puget Sound District, was named the William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year and was awarded a $3,500 scholarship from Richard Bitner in memory of Bob Stockton. Taite will represent the NSDA throughout the 2025-2026 academic year. Learn more about Taite in the 2025 September/October Rostrum!
The first and second runners-up were Layla Riggs, representing the Montana West District, and Jordan Melamed, representing the Florida Oceanfront District, receiving $2,000 and $1,500 scholarships, respectively. The third-runners up, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship, included Dariel Herrera, representing the Northeast Indiana District, Bohan Pan, representing the Eastern Missouri District, and Edna Yeghnanyan, representing the West Los Angeles District.
Do you know an outstanding student?
Each NSDA district has the opportunity to name a District Student of the Year. Coaches may nominate a graduating senior who best represents the tenets of the Association’s Code of Honor. Each year, the top students who win the district award are selected as finalists for the William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year award.
Taite Kirkpatrick Puget Sound District 2025 William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year
(below, left to right) Dariel Herrera, Jordan Melamed, Bohan Pan, Layla Riggs, and Edna Yeghnanyan
Meet the 2025 National Student of the Year Finalists!
https://youtu.be/9znQUtIr0z4
Throughout this issue, Executive Director Scott Wunn has scattered facts about this year’s impressive finalists. We applaud all the historic achievements made this year! FIND THE “POP-UP” BOXES FOR FACTS AND LINKS!
FAMILY OF THE YEAR! Taite’s mother, Kelley Kirkpatrick, is the 2025 Coach of the Year!
STUDENT STARS! Dariel (DUO) and Jordan (HSE) are also champions in their events!
REPEAT FINALISTS!
These 20 exceptional performers are marked with a star (Ì) on the following pages.
Ì ANTHONY BABU
2025 International Extemp (2024: IX)
Ì SWATHI BODDULURI
2025 Congress - Senate (2024: SEN)
Ì ANIYA BOSTICK
2025 Program Oral Interp (2024: POI)
Ì JAYDEN BROWN
2025 Duo Interp (2024: DUO)
Ì JAIMEE CANALEJO
2025 Humorous Interp (2024: HI)
Ì CLAUDIA COLINA
2025 Dramatic Interp (2024: DI)
Ì JONAH DOWNS
2025 Commentary (2024: EXC)
Ì TRINITY DUGAR
2025 Program Oral Interp (2024: DI)
Ì GEORGE MATTHEW GUTIERREZ
2025 Duo Interp (2024: HI)
Ì ALYSON JOHNSON
2025 Commentary (2024: IMP)
Ì HAU LAM LUNG
2025 Congress - Senate (2024: SEN)
Ì NOAH MARTINEZ
2025 Humorous Interp (2024: HI)
Ì JORDAN MELAMED
2025 Congress - House (2024: HSE)
Ì KARLA RIVERA
2025 Duo Interp (2024: DI)
Ì ADRIANNA RODRIGUEZ
2025 Program Oral Interp (2022: DUO)
Ì LINDSAY SIEJA
2025 Informative (2024: INF)
Ì ANGAD SINGH
2025 Original Oratory (2024: OO)
Ì SYMPHANIE WILLIAMS
2025 Poetry (2024: POE)
Ì ISABELLA WINDMILLER
2025 Duo Interp (2024: EXP)
Ì MALAKAI YEPES
2025 Poetry (2024: PRO)
National Tournament Supporters
Greg Edwards
Catch Des Moines
National Tournament Support Appreciation
Benjamin Farney
Vista Productions Outstanding Service for 15 National Tournaments
National Tournament Video Contractors
Joshua Noll California
Michael Villalobos Illinois
Host Steering Committee (left to right)
Marissa Kuiken, Host Committee Member
Tunisia May, Host Committee Member
Steve Schappaugh, Host Committee Chair
Dr. Nikki Roorda, Johnston Superintendent
Jeremy Fitzpatrick, Host Committee Member
Heather Semelmacher, Johnston Activities Director
Kirk Johnson, Waukee Chief Operations Officer
National Tournament
Photography
Wynter Byrd Birmingham, AL
Jeff Bell Photography Inc. Angola, IN jeffbellphoto.com
Erika Fontana CPP Des Moines, IA www.photography-by-e.com
Emily Frachtling North Carolina
2025 Tournament Event Chairs
Matt Good
Jeff Stutzman
Hanh Do
Jonathan Alston
Ameena Amdahl-Mason
Nicole Dalton
Alma Nicholson
Kimberly Bayan-Berlat
Kevin Berlat
Julie Roos
Chase Williams
Pam McComas
Jo Ball
Yatesh Singh
Denise Raeder-Johnson
Greg Malis
Megan Hagaman
Marc Rischitelli
Special Thanks
Jeff Bruning Full Court Press
Mo Marks and Staff
Blank Park Zoo
World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
Centennial Committee Committee Chairs: Jay Rye and Pam McComas
Staff and Administrators
Johnston, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Des Moines Public Schools
2025 Four-Time Competitors
The Four-Time Competitor Awards are presented to high school students who have attended four National Tournaments. At the 2025 National Tournament, 1,672 students qualified for the second time, 642 students qualified for the third time, and 186 students qualified for the fourth time, attending Nationals each year they were in high school.
Kaeden Abraham Willard High School, MO
Jonathan Adler Coral Academy Of Science Las Vegas, NV
Ingrid Alg Theodore Roosevelt High School, IA
Zaki Ali Pennsbury High School, PA
Grey Anderson Palo Verde High School, NV
Madelyn Armitage Parsons High School, KS
Ariel Bahn Fargo Davies High School, ND
Rishabh Barve Blue Valley West High School, KS
Audrey Baughman Mullen High School, CO
Lauren Beesley Idaho Falls High School, ID
Alex Beveridge East High School, IA
Akul Bhambhani Penn High School, IN
Mina Bhargava Edina High School, MN
Jaden Bills Rigby High School, ID
Silas Bloch Collegiate School of Medicine & Bioscience, MO
Swathi Bodduluri Pennsbury High School, PA
Olivia Boerger Stevens High School, SD
Devarsh Borah Edina High School, MN
Andrew Brandt Isidore Newman School, LA
Isabella Browne Maize High School, KS
Ayden Calvert Watertown High School, SD
Jaimee Canalejo American Heritage School - Broward, FL
Mia Carver Rowan County Senior High School, KY
Noelle Caylor Ponderosa High School, CA
Francesca Chaffee-McClure Bishop Miege High School, KS
Connor Chaffin Olathe Northwest High School, KS
Anish Chandran Revere High School, OH
Harris Chaudhry Washburn Rural High School, KS
Kavinayashri Chidambaranathan Washburn Rural High School, KS
Kevin Cisneros Palo Verde High School, NV
Abby Conner University Schools, CO
Henry Cooper St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, MS
Thomas Copher Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, IN
Kennedy Crabtree Manhattan High School, KS
Samara Cuaresma Jackson-Reed High School, DC
Kylie Daum Tuscarawas Valley High School, OH
Hosna Dawlaty West Fargo Sheyenne High School, ND
Valeria De la Llave Riverside High School, SC
Hannah De Souza The Potomac School, VA
Levi DeAngelis Camdenton High School, MO
Amanda Rose DeStefano Trinity Preparatory School, FL
Henry Dieringer L. C. Anderson High School, TX
Evelyn Ding Plano West Sr. High School, TX
Jonah Downs Trinity Preparatory School, FL
Trinity Dugar David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, LA
Addison Ellis Munster High School, IN
Hunter Ellis Bullard High School, CA
Matthew Evans Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, PA
Gilly Falin Lawrence Free State High School, KS
Lillian Farrer Tooele High School, UT
Ava Fefferman Munster High School, IN
Darcy Feist Great Bend High School, KS
Garrett Flack Blue Springs South High School, MO
Jonah Follingstad West Fargo Sheyenne High School, ND
Patrick Fu Manhattan High School, KS
Adele Fuzaylov Shrewsbury High School, MA
Venkata Danush Gade Rock Hill High School, TX
Suriya Gadh American Heritage School - Broward, FL
Sebastian Gardner The Potomac School, VA
Burke Gehret Alta High School, UT
Juliet Geilen Hellgate High School, MT
Levi Gorden West Fargo Horace High School, ND
Madeline Gottemoller W. B. Ray High School, TX
Jordan Graves West Fargo Horace High School, ND
Ashtin Griffin Crew Riverton High School, WY
Dakota Gunnare West Bend East High School, WI
Shravya Gupta Tahoma High School, WA
Mariska Haddock Cabot High School, AR
Meridian Hailu Sioux Falls Jefferson High School, SD
Claire Han Munster High School, IN
Rebecca Han Riverside High School, SC
Anderson Hendrix Northland Christian School, TX
Dariel Herrera Plymouth High School, IN
Sullivan Ho Norman High School, OK
Cat-Tam Huynh Redlands High School, CA
Canna Hyde Chiawana High School, WA
Anabelle Janak Tuloso Midway High School, TX
Esther Jesse Plano Sr. High School, TX
Angela Jia Archbishop Riordan High School, CA
Madison Johnson Washington High School, SD
Aria Jolly Isidore Newman School, LA
Lily Jones McDowell High School, PA
Margaret Kalashian Kerman High School, CA
Lilie Kamakele Loveland High School, CO
Arrman Kapoor Plano West Sr. High School, TX
Ella Kasatkin Pennsbury High School, PA
Norah Kermashek Pittsburg High School, KS
Faiza Khaled Marist School, GA
Noah Kim A & M Consolidated High School, TX
Tae Hee Kim Grace Christian Academy, MP
Kaylen King Liberty High School, MO
Taite Kirkpatrick Mount Vernon High School, WA
Reagan Koppelman West Fargo Sheyenne High School, ND
Carolina Kortan Harlingen High School, TX
Vaden Kumar Newton High School, KS
John Lee Pittsburg High School, KS
Sophia Leonard Shawnee Mission East High School, KS
Timothy Leung Saratoga High School, CA
Eli Levy American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach, FL
Jordan Lewin Collierville High School, TN
John-austin Little Norman North High School, OK
Mia Liu McDowell High School, PA
Anuj Lohtia Plano West Sr. High School, TX
Cevan Louie Coral Academy Of Science Las Vegas, NV
Julia Low James Bowie High School, TX
Aaliyah Lucero University Schools, CO
Clarine Luzmoor Rock Springs High School, WY
Brayden Lyday Cheyenne East High School, WY
Ethan Maher The Potomac School, VA
Peter Mandacina Rockhurst High School, MO
Homa Masood Skyview High School, MT
Katharine Matthews Lee’s Summit West High School, MO
Abby McDonald Lakeville South High School, MN
Haley McGill Nickerson High School, KS
Avery McSwain Cy-Fair High School, TX
Avery Meissner Bob Jones Academy, SC
Jordan Melamed American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach, FL
Ezekiel Mena Del Valle High School, TX
James Miller Westlake High School, CA
Maxwell Miller University High School, IL
Rowan Milton-Benoit James River High School, VA
Solomon Naraine Rockhurst High School, MO
Riley Ney Newton High School, KS
Hudson Nguyen Isidore Newman School, LA
Tommy Nichol Oxford High School, MS
Aditi Nimishakavi Washburn Rural High School, KS
Savemore Nyamakope Clay Center Community High School, KS
Victory Okoroji Hastings High School, TX
Rafe Orr Mountain View High School, AZ
Nicholas Ostheimer FAU High School, FL
Justin Palazzolo A & M Consolidated High School, TX
Alexander Papavassiliou Norman North High School, OK
Bakhtawar Parvez Amarillo High School, TX
Luke Peterson Gilmour Academy, OH
Tyler Phillips Princeton High School, TX
Teonna Randle Sioux Falls Jefferson High School, SD
Pasha Raoufi Redlands High School, CA
Charlotte Reitman NSU University School, FL
Mason Renner Pembroke Hill School, MO
Nick Rezza Isidore Newman School, LA
Christopher Rhodes New Philadelphia High School, OH
Reece Richard West Fargo Horace High School, ND
Layla Riggs Helena High School, MT
Breshad Robinson Caney Creek High School, TX
Adrianna Rodriguez Harlingen High School South, TX
Alora Rude West Fargo Horace High School, ND
Ryan Rushton Elko High School, NV
Somie Sablan Saipan International School, MP
Uxue Sansinena Los Alamos High School, NM
Sophia Santos O’Gorman High School, SD
Madalynn Shelton Gloria Deo Academy, MO
Jiya Shetty Rock Bridge High School, MO
Brayden Simmons Beaver High School, UT
Nikoo Tahmasebi Blue Valley High School, KS
Paige Tang South Pasadena High School, CA
Corisa Tapp Lebanon High School, MO
Audrey Tatro Eagle Valley High School, CO
Lynx Taylor Lansing High School, KS
Kylie Thorpe W. B. Ray High School, TX
Anish Thota Charlotte Latin School, NC
Sahara Torres Del Valle High School, TX
Joe Travis McMinnville High School, OR
Tyler Travis Plymouth High School, IN
Alana Trevino Earl Warren High School, TX
Jamen Trojcak Manhattan High School, KS
Kai Tucker Riverside High School, SC
Marzell Usher Valdosta High School, GA
Pegah Vasighi-Ansarifar St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, MS
Lexi Velgersdyk Lincoln Southeast High School, NE
Ben Vito Eagle Valley High School, CO
Veda Voegele West Fargo Horace High School, ND
Jingyi Wang Millard North High School, NE
Nathaniel Watkins L. C. Anderson High School, TX
Anwen Williams Lawrence Free State High School, KS
Roscoe Williams Butte High School, MT
Symphanie Williams Clear Creek High School, TX
Isabella Windmiller Willard High School, MO
Patrick Wong Lansing High School, KS
Kenedy Wood W. B. Ray High School, TX
Rachel Wood Jack C. Hays High School, TX
Jayden Yu Lambert High School, GA
Nola Zeppenfeld Palo Verde High School, NV
Tori Zerkus Clear Falls High School, TX
Fiona Zhou Westridge School, CA
For tournament history and additional results, visit: www.speechanddebate.org/ nationals-history
Camryn Scanson Advanced Technologies Academy, NV
Jaxson Terreros Shawnee Mission East High School, KS
RICHARD B. SODIKOW
Policy
Debate
presented by the NSDA
Champions – Jordan Yao and Dylan Liu
Taipei American School, Taiwan
Coached by Chase Williams, Lawrence Zhou, Micah Cook, Jiyoon Park, Jimin Park, and Jet Semrick
2nd Place – Maira Parsons and Iman Suleman
Blue Valley North High School, Kansas
Coached by Brian Box
3rd Place – Jaxson Terreros and Ishaan Home
Shawnee Mission East High School, Kansas
Coached by Trey Witt and Jacob Wilkus
4th Place – Shamit D’Souza and Samarjit Deshmukh
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Aaron Langerman, Surya Krishnapillai, Dr. DeeDee Sullivan, and Jessica Lew-Munoz
5th Place – Andrew Blaise and Braden Conte
Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, California
Coached by Johny Hong and Grant Nilson
6th Place – Henry Martin and Asra June
Shawnee Mission South High School, Kansas
Coached by Carolyn Cook, Azja Butler, Jackson Hoffmann, Marcus Woodcock, and Maddie Atkins
Policy Debate
Top Speakers presented by the NSDA
Phyllis Flory Barton Trophy
1st Place – Aiden Kwon
Peninsula High School, California
Coached by Gordon Krauss
2nd Place – Shamit D’Souza
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Aaron Langerman, Surya Krishnapillai, Dr. DeeDee Sullivan, and Jessica Lew-Munoz
3rd Place – Madeleine Priest
Winston Churchill High School, Texas
Coached by Preston Stolte and Daniel Moore
4th Place – Dhruv Mallick
Archbishop Mitty High School, California
Coached by Michaela Northrop
5th Place – Kevin Lu
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Aaron Langerman, Surya Krishnapillai, Dr. DeeDee Sullivan, and Jessica Lew-Munoz
6th Place – Tristin Nguyen
Eagan High School, Minnesota
Coached by Chris McDonald, Robert Groven, Lizzy Sabel, Reece Peters, and Greg Quick
Harland B. Mitchell Trophy
The national champion Policy Debate team also receives the Harland B. Mitchell Trophy, named after the Association’s legendary debate coach.
Public Forum
Debate presented by Whitman College
Champions – Alan Tai and Saanvi Goyal
Monta Vista High School, California
Coached by Anisha Sinha
2nd Place – Niranjan Ashok and Sameet Das
Archbishop Mitty High School, California
Coached by Mark Woodhead
3rd Place – Selma Bahrani and Daniel Wu
Dougherty Valley High School, California
Coached by Ashna Gandhi
4th Place – Arnav Agarwal and Ronav Ganesh
Lincoln East High School, Nebraska
Coached by Brooke Meints
5th Place – Anisha Chandra and Divija Rao
Charlotte Latin School, North Carolina
Coached by Michael Hansen, Veer Prakash, and Alexander Sun
6th Place – Ezekiel Ehrenberg and Romir Patel
Delbarton School, New Jersey
Coached by Andrew Fostiropoulos, Jamie Corcoran, and Mary Gormley
GLOBAL GLORY! Jordan and Dylan are the first international team to be Policy champs!
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
presented by Truman State University
Champion – Elliott Barringer
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Matt DeLateur
2nd Place – Valerie Schmitt
Edina High School, Minnesota
Coached by Joe Schmitt, Danielle Schmitt, Mark Kivimaki, Breanna Wollman, and Joseph Annareddy
3rd Place – Tristan Williams
Oakwood High School, Ohio
Coached by Ally Ross, Steve Stanley, and Linda Li
4th Place – Rebecca Liu
Cary Academy, North Carolina
Coached by RJ Pellicciotta,
Willie Warren, Caleb Horowitz, and Paxton Sheppard
5th Place – Lincoln Roston
Claremont High School, California
Coached by David Chamberlain, Andrew Lopez, and Kenny Park
6th Place – Madeleine Burke
Hathaway Brown School, Ohio
Coached by Jason Habig
Lincoln-Douglas Top Speakers
presented in memory of Tina Wang
Dale Lauder McCall Trophy
1st Place – Sigmund Persson
Fairview High School, Colorado
Coached by Kristina Getty and Dot Kellner
2nd Place – Anik Chobe
Archbishop Mitty High School, California
Coached by Mark Woodhead
3rd Place – Kaylen King
Liberty Senior High School, Missouri
Coached by David Dempsey, Timothy Baldwin, and Mick Turpin
4th Place – Caleb Wang
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Matt DeLateur
5th Place – Brooke Gemechu
Hawken School, Ohio
Coached by Eva Lamberson and Bob Shurtz
6th Place – Adhya Duggal
Mason High School, Ohio
Coached by Melissa Donahue
Lincoln-Douglas Debate scholarships are presented by Victor Jih
Big Questions Debate
presented by the John Templeton Foundation
Champion – Caleb Waldron
Loveland High School, Colorado
Coached by Patrick DeMartine, Deena Pettit, and Josh Kascak
2nd Place – Harini Arun
Arizona College Prep High School, Arizona
Coached by Miranda Vega and Norman Rumsey
Semifinalist – Hudson Turman
Tascosa High School, Texas
Coached by Ryan Lovell and Heather Soltero
Semifinalist – Nathanial Cortopassi
Wasatch High School, Utah
Coached by Ashley Painter
REP. BARBARA JORDAN Congressional Debate – House presented by the NSDA
CLEANING HOUSE! Jordan won all three Congressional Debate – House awards!
Champion – Jordan Melamed Ì
American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus, Florida
Coached by Bo Lint, Emily Stegawski, and Sasha DiMare
2nd Place – Tommy Nichol
Oxford High School, Mississippi
Coached by James Jimenez
3rd Place – Chaith Mittal
Archbishop Mitty High School, California
Coached by Mark Woodhead, Sashank Balusu, and Karen Cruz
4th Place – Aarush Gupta
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Dr. DeeDee Sullivan
5th Place – Jonathan Okokhere
Nolensville High School, Tennessee
Coached by Brandy Weaver
6th Place – Samantha Tran
Bellaire High School, Texas
Coached by Isaac Chao
CROWNED IN CONGRESS! Jordan was back-to-back
Top Presiding Officer in the House!
Top Presiding Officer (House)
Jordan Melamed Ì
American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus, FL
Coached by Bo Lint, Emily Stegawski, and Sasha DiMare
Leadership Bowl (House)
Jordan Melamed Ì
Top Presiding Officer (Senate)
Garrett Flack Ì
Blue Springs South High School, MO
Coached by Marc Baney
Leadership Bowl (Senate)
Owen Casey
Packer Collegiate Institute, NY
Coached by Varun Kota and Tory Lacy
SEN. RICHARD LUGAR Congressional Debate – Senate presented by the NSDA
Champion – Garrett Flack
Blue Springs South High School, Missouri
Coached by Marc Baney
PRESIDING PRO! Garrett was Top Presiding Officer in the Senate two years in a row!
2nd Place – Grace Jackson
Paul J. Hagerty High School, Florida
Coached by Samantha Ollweiler
3rd Place – Hau Lam Lung Ì
Monte Vista High School, California
Coached by David Matley
4th Place – Akshar Ammu
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Dr. DeeDee Sullivan
5th Place – Vincent Nguyen
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Dr. DeeDee Sullivan
6th Place – Swathi Bodduluri Ì
Pennsbury High School, Pennsylvania
Coached by Chris Berdnik, Diane Moran, and Viana Mote
CARMENDALE FERNANDES
United States
Extemporaneous Speaking presented by the NSDA
Champion – Robert Zhang
Elkins High School, Texas
Coached by Bonnie Bonnette and Andrew Burgos
2nd Place – Sovia Villagra
Gabrielino High School, California
Coached by Derek Yuill, Eric Chen, and Ethan Lamb
3rd Place – Daphne Kalir-Starr College Prep, California
Coached by Lexy Green, Ian Beier, K. Rawlins, Teddy Gerkin, and Randy McCutcheon
4th Place – Andrew Zheng
Acalanes High School, California
Coached by Min Zhu and Daniel Zhu
5th Place – Annie Chen
BASIS Chandler High School, Arizona
Coached by Brittany De Foe and Katherine Hodge
6th Place – Samuel Ma
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Dr. DeeDee Sullivan
A. C. ELEY
International Extemporaneous Speaking presented by the Council on Foreign Relations
Champion – Anthony Babu Ì
Concord Carlisle High School, Massachusetts
Coached by Shannon Babu and Tim Averill
BACK-TO-BACK! Anthony is a repeat IX national champion—and his mom is his coach!
2nd Place – Ryan Xu
Plano West Sr. High School, Texas
Coached by Meghan Clark, Reggie Chapman, and David Huston
3rd Place – Waleed Haider
Hendrickson High School, Texas
Coached by Vada Janak and Kirsten Nash
4th Place – Anushka Gupta
Westwood High School, Texas
Coached by Dominic Henderson
5th Place – Thomas Guo
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Dr. DeeDee Sullivan
6th Place – Pranav Kothur
Tompkins High School, Texas
Coached by Meaghan West
Informative Speaking
presented by the NSDA
Champion – Ja’Nayah Howard
David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, Louisiana
Coached by Jacob Leger, Brittany Turner, and Emily Guidry
2nd Place – Emerson Forester Westridge School, California
Coached by Maggie Woodward and Nicole Dalton
3rd Place – Emmet Carlson
Chanhassen High School, Minnesota
Coached by Travis Rother and Tali Sinjem
4th Place – Jack Simon
Moorhead High School, Minnesota
Coached by Andrew Tichy and the Coaches at Moorhead High School
5th Place – Lindsay Sieja Ì
George Washington High School, Colorado
Coached by Maryrose Kohan, Devin Sarno, and Miles Owens
6th Place – Violet Tran
La Salle College Preparatory, California
Coached by Sean Winkler
The six finalists in INF are recipients of the Making the Stage scholarship provided by Joe and Pam Wycoff
SUPER SCHOOL! David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy boasts INF champs from Nats24 and Nats25!
THE CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS REPRESENTS THE BEST OF THE BEST IN OUR ACTIVITY.
Congratulations to our 2025 National Champions!
The National Speech & Debate Tournament marks the capstone of speech and debate activities for thousands of members across the country. To attend, students must qualify in a main event at one of the NSDA’s 112 district tournaments, through one of 12 international qualifying programs, or be selected by their school to compete in supplemental events. The student competitors represent the best and brightest young people across the United States and the globe.
The National Debate & Speech Tournament has been held across the country since 1931, and today is the largest academic competition in the world. This year, 6,260 high school students competed in a weeklong competition to determine the most prestigious title in high school academics: national champion.
LANNY D. AND B. J. NAEGELIN
Humorous Interpretation presented by Quaker Bakery
Champion – Allie Skauge
Moorhead High School, Minnesota
Coached by Shontel Smith, Rebecca Meyer-Larson, and the Coaches at Moorhead High School
2nd Place – Max Apel
Lincoln East High School, Nebraska
Coached by Nick Herink and Elle Barts
3rd Place – Noah Martinez Ì
James Logan High School, California
Coached by Justin Kurup and Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr.
4th Place – Leon Yang
Fairmont High School, Minnesota
Coached by Miles Duffey, Kathleen Walker, and Erik Walker
5th Place – Molly Daley
Leland High School, California
Coached by Stacy Fernandez
6th Place – Jaimee Canalejo Ì
American Heritage School - Broward, Florida
Coached by Joele Denis, Abigail Canalejo, and The Heritage Broward Coaching Staff
The final placement of HI finalists was determined using cumulative ranks from rounds 7 through 12
Dramatic Interpretation presented by Simpson College
Champion – Claudia Colina Ì
Ransom Everglades School, Florida
Coached by Kate Hamm and Justinmar Perez
2nd Place – Yahir Rodriguez
Apple Valley High School, Minnesota
Coached by Daniel Hodges
3rd Place – Niah Maduakolam
Munster High School, Indiana
Coached by Jordan Mayer
4th Place – Gabriel Aina
Garland High School, Texas
Coached by Talia Powell
5th Place – Cassidy Harris
Newark Central High School, New Jersey
Coached by Dennis K. Philbert, Isiah Briggs, Chidera Okeke, and Oluwadamilare Odukomaiya
6th Place – Ayomide Adekoya
Newark Central High School, New Jersey
Coached by Dennis K. Philbert, Isiah Briggs, Chidera Okeke, and Oluwadamilare Odukomaiya
DR. TOMMIE LINDSEY, JR. Duo Interpretation presented by Colorado College
Champion – Dariel Herrera and Claire Lewandowski
Plymouth High School, Indiana
Coached by Eric Schaefer and Helena Jancosek
2nd Place – Karla Rivera Ì and George Matthew Gutierrez Ì
Harlingen High School South, Texas
Coached by Eddy Cavazos and Martin Vela
3rd Place – Isabella Windmiller Ì and Kaeden Abraham Willard High School, Missouri
Coached by Ethan Gambriel and Kathy Tobin
4th Place – Jayden Brown Ì and Avi Gupta
Archbishop Mitty High School, California
Coached by Karen Cruz, BJ Cruz, John Harris, Mark Woodhead, and Michaela Northrop
5th Place – Addison Rouse and Aspen White
Fort Gibson High School, Oklahoma
Coached by Melanie Wicks, Beth Brannon, Jake Daniel, and Susie Kilpatrick
6th Place – Ayokanmi Adenle and Ayokunnumi Adenle
Prestonwood Christian Academy, Texas
Coached by Kris Compton
Program Oral Interpretation
presented by Advantage
Communications
Champion – Aniya Bostick Ì
Apple Valley High School, Minnesota
Coached by Uzo Ngwu and Daniel Hodges
2nd Place – Trinity Dugar Ì
David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, Louisiana
Coached by Jacob Leger, Brittany Turner, and Emily Guidry
3rd Place – Adrianna Rodriguez Ì
Harlingen High School South, Texas
Coached by Eddy Cavazos and Martin Vela
4th Place – Meredith Leo
Lakeville North High School, Minnesota
Coached by Meg Krekeler and Bryan Grosso
5th Place – Esther Jesse
Plano Senior High School, Texas
Coached by Robert Shepard
6th Place – DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey
Lincoln Southeast High School, Nebraska
Coached by Tommy Bender and Madison Hilbert
JOE AND PAM WYCOFF Original Oratory
presented by the Red Hill Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation Auxiliary
Champion – Angad Singh Ì
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Aaron Langerman
2nd Place – Isra Yasin
Apple Valley High School, Minnesota
Coached by Scott Voss, Halima Badri, and Dan Hodges
3rd Place – Sam Schaefer
Moorhead High School, Minnesota
Coached by Rebecca Meyer-Larson and the Coaches at Moorhead High School
4th Place – Oliver Chen
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Coached by Aaron Langerman
5th Place – Hadley Harvey
Theodore Roosevelt High School, Iowa
Coached by Parker Klyn
6th Place – Asanti Ahmed
Elk River Sr. High School, Minnesota
Coached by Allison Harmer
The six finalists in OO are recipients of the Making The Stage scholarship provided by Joe and Pam Wycoff
SPARKY IN THE SPOTLIGHT! The NSDA mascot was the star of the show at the Nats25 tournament!
World
Schools
Debate Invitational
presented by Simpson College
Champions – TEAM CHINA GOLD
(listed alphabetically)
Lucas Chen
Bobby Liu
Crystal Liao
Lawrence Ma
Benjamin Ye
Coached by Amrit Agastia, David Peterson, Cayman Giordano, Ashish Kumar, and Yoni Cohen-Idov
2nd Place – IDAHO MOUNTAIN RIVER GREENISH
Madilynn Evans
Sammy Mowrer
Josephine Preucil
Olivia Wakeman
Kasey Wheeler
Coached by Joseph Tyler and Jethro Smith
Semifinalists – WEST LOS ANGELES VIOLET
Nancy Javkhlan
Andie Martin
James Miller
Lincoln Reyes
Edna Yeghnanyan
Coached by Brandon Batham and Timothy Meyer
Semifinalists – NORTH TEXAS LONGHORNS NAVY
Vennila Ganesh
Poorvi Kumar
Mihika Kandula
Harnek Sabharwal
Jayanth Yamunan
Coached by Eric Mears and Chuck Walts
World
Schools Debate Top Speakers presented by Simpson College
Robert Shrum Award
1st Place – Luke Paulus
Eastern Missouri Navy
Coached by Sara McClendon and Gursimar Kaur
2nd Place – Stanley Liew
Northwest Indiana Gold
3rd Place – Anya Gopalakrishnan
Capitol Valley Green
4th Place – Solomon Auerbach
Capitol Valley Green
5th Place – Venkata Danush Gade
LBJ Navy
6th Place – Valerie Huang
Taiwan Blue
The winning World Schools Debate team receives the Dr. Alfred “Tuna” Snider Championship Plaque, presented by Tom Rollins
WORLDWIDE WIN! Team China Gold is the first international team to win the World Schools Invitational!
Impromptu
presented by Bob and Salli Stockton
Champion – Ciara Oldham
Cookeville High School, Tennessee
Coached by Shane Cunningham
2nd Place – Ava DiNapoli
Valencia High School, California
Coached by Sarah Ford
3rd Place – Milo Coleman
McClintock High School, Arizona
Coached by Timothy Cornwell and Richard Glover
4th Place – Shriya Surana
Irvington High School, California
Coached by Mark Rodocker
5th Place – Ivy Litton
Rowan County Sr. High School, Kentucky
Coached by Denise Watkins, Dwayne Adkins, Misty Litton
6th Place – Aarna Dharia
BASIS Chandler High School, Arizona
Coached by Katherine Hodge
Storytelling
presented by Bob and Salli Stockton
Champion – Kelvyn Boddipalli
Mounds Park Academy, Minnesota
Coached by Tanner Sunderman
2nd Place – Miles Sweazea
Jefferson City High School, Missouri
Coached by Jordan Hart, Zach Lovelace, and Travis Stahlman
3rd Place – Eric Chang
Valencia High School - Placentia, California
Coached by Asha Taylor, Amber Justmann, and Liangyi Gu
4th Place – Nicholas Harrison
Southland College Prep Charter High School, Illinois
Coached by Malik Bibbie and Cheryl Frazier
5th Place – Jack McCormick
Lincoln Southwest High School, Nebraska
Coached by Matt Heimes and Zoey Moser
6th Place – Cora McCracken
Research Triangle High School, North Carolina
Coached by Brigid Feeney and Conor Sherry
Poetry Reading
presented by Bob and Salli Stockton
Champion – Bushra Mohamed
Shakopee High School, Minnesota
Coached by Justin Bertram
2nd Place – Gavin Foust
Lincoln East High School, Nebraska
Coached by Nick Herink and Elle Barts
3rd Place – Symphanie Williams Ì
Clear Creek High School, Texas
Coached by Brian Darby
4th Place – Paul Marinos
Hermantown High School, Minnesota
Coached by Marissa Stifter
5th Place – Allison Hernandez
Wilson High School Hacienda Heights, California
Coached by Joel Anguiano-Delgado and Megan Thompson
6th Place – Makenzie Bounds
Prior Lake High School, Minnesota
Coached by Nick Ingles and Beth Baer
7th Place – Malakai Yepes Ì
University High School, New Jersey
Coached by Saul Grullon
Prose
Reading presented by Bob and Salli Stockton
Champion – Henry Godar
Theodore Roosevelt High School, Iowa
Coached by Parker Klyn
2nd Place – Mason Brignac
Muldrow High School, Oklahoma
Coached by Chris Larcade
3rd Place – Jett Campbell
Choctaw High School, Oklahoma
Coached by Maryjane Burton, Alyx
Sabina, Sierra Posada, and Billy Elles
4th Place – Elina Kretz
Harlingen High School, Texas
Coached by Christopher Esparza, James Gracia, and Carmela Benavides
5th Place – Nuha Salam
Shrewsbury High School, Massachusetts
Coached by Carolina Lima, Marc Rischitelli, and Gabriel Hopkins
6th Place – Nrush Elchuri
Olentangy High School, Ohio
Coached by Morgan Korinek, Jennifer Moore, and Vidya Sagar Elchuri
BROTHER RENÉ STERNER Commentary
presented by Bob and Salli Stockton
Champion – Jonah Downs Ì
Trinity Preparatory School, Florida
Coached by Julia Hren and Quinn McKenzie
TWO-TIME TOURNAMENT CHAMP! Jonah is a back-to-back champion in Commentary!
2nd Place – Alyson Johnson Ì
Willmar Senior High School, Minnesota
Coached by Sarah Swedburg
3rd Place – Akash Vukoti
Central High School - San Angelo, Texas
Coached by Coby Evers and Alyssa VanZandt
4th Place – Lexie Toshav
Isidore Newman School, Louisiana
Coached by Christopher Vincent and Alma Nicholson
5th Place – Katharine Matthews
Lee’s Summit West High School, Missouri
Coached by Matthew Good
6th Place – Cody Brown
Jenks High School, Oklahoma
Coached by Betty Stanton and David Wright
Original Spoken Word Poetry presented by Always Writing 4 U
Champion – Latricia Lamour
John I. Leonard High School, Florida
Coached by Quentin Scruggs
2nd Place – Elianna Grinberg
Seven Lakes High School, Texas
Coached by Bryce Piotrowski and Calen Cabler
3rd Place – Allison Hernandez
Wilson High School Hacienda Heights, California
Coached by Joel Anguiano-Delgado and Megan Thompson
4th Place – Elizabeth Havens
Central High School - San Angelo, Texas
Coached by Coby Evers
5th Place – Iris Ye
Peninsula High School, California
Coached by Gordon Krauss
6th Place – Trey Lussow
Central High School - San Angelo, Texas
Coached by Coby Evers
7th Place – Gean Carter
Bloomington High School, Illinois
Coached by Rachel Willyard, Katie Quigg, and Brandon Thornton
Expository
presented by Bob and Salli Stockton
Champion – Andrew Schulz
Cheyenne East High School, Wyoming
Coached by Marcus Viney
2nd Place – Angela Jia
Archbishop Riordan High School, California
Coached by Hongxiu Ning, and Drake Pough
3rd Place – Lily Wiedholz
Glenbard West High School, Illinois
Coached by Grace Rangira
4th Place – Amna George
Aberdeen Central High School, South Dakota
Coached by Kerry Konda, Alli Joerger, and Abiah George
5th Place – Fatma Ahmed
Shakopee High School, Minnesota
Coached by Justin Bertram
6th Place – Mya Gerstein
Glenbrook North High School, Illinois
Coached by Sarah Ilie and Lauren Emmert
Extemporaneous Debate
presented by Colorado College
Champion – Luke Ryan
The Pembroke Hill School, Missouri
Coached by Allie Chase and Jamelle Brown
2nd Place – Ethan Kuruvilla
Bellevue High School, Washington
Coached by Amy McCormick, Haoge Liu, and Prabhat Aluri
3rd Place – Isabelle D’Mello
Clovis North High School, California
Coached by Chad Hayden and Payton Polanco
4th Place – Jacob Ransom
Central High School, Missouri
Coached by Joseph S. Barbosa, Ashley Crawford, and Mindy Erickson
5th Place – Jacob Risenmay
Skyline High School, Idaho
Coached by Christine Hubbard
6th Place – Anabella Pisapia De Marco
Syosset High School, New York
Coached by Lydia Esslinger
https://tinyurl.com/ 4zxcty6n
Congressional Legislation Recognition
These students authored the 2025 National Congress legislation, students marked with an asterisk () submitted multiple pieces of legislation. Thank you for your submissions!
Rawan Al-Ajeel Lincoln Southwest High School, NE
Alysia Aldea Medina Senior High School, OH
Jane Anderson Jordan High School, UT
Hayden Brillhart Amarillo High School, TX
Kaylee Chalmers Medina Senior High School, OH
Tanish Chauhan Prosper High School, TX*
Bryan Dominguez American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus, FL
Catarina Fernandes Elizabeth High School, NJ
Bettina Gannon Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, FL
Michael Hoang W. B. Ray High School, TX
Tristan Khoshyomn Greenwood Laboratory School, MO
Ira Kumar Westglades Middle School, FL
Ian Lee-Kim Conway High School, AR
Amanuddin Mohammed Bob Lanier Middle School, TX
Congress students and event chairs, Kevin Berlat and Kimberly Bayan-Berlat, at the Congressional Debate Opening Assembly
Reese Morris Nixa High School, MO
Jack Petrie Gig Harbor High School, WA
Jacob Schwartz Cheyenne East High School, WY
Connor Stevens Lindale High School, TX
Grace Swihart Lake High School, OH
Audrey Tatro Eagle Valley High School, CO
Samantha Tran Bellaire High School, TX
Tyler Travis Plymouth High School, IN
Miralisa Trivedi Peak to Peak Charter School, CO
Sarveen Vatankhah W. B. Ray High School, TX
Aidan Vedder Southern Lehigh High School, PA
AnnMarie Wolfley Snake River High School, ID
Noah Young Niles McKinley High School, OH
Aryana Sahai A. D. Henderson University Middle School, FL
President’s Bowls presented by Mr. and Mrs. Donus and Lovila Roberts
Awarded to the students who, according to the judges, won the final round of competition
President’s Bowl Informative Speaking
Ja’Nayah Howard
David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, LA
Coached by Jacob Leger, Brittany Turner, and Emily Guidry
President’s Bowl United States Extemp
Robert Zhang
Elkins High School, TX
Coached by Bonnie Bonnette
Interp Bowls
President’s Bowl International Extemp
Anthony Babu Ì
Concord Carlisle High School, MA
Coached by Shannon Babu and Tim Averill
Awarded to the students who, according to the judges, won the final round of competition
Interp Bowl Program Oral Interp
Aniya Bostick Ì
Apple Valley High School, MN
Coached by Uzo Ngwu and Daniel Hodges
2024–2025
Interp Bowl Dramatic Interp
Niah Maduakolam
Munster High School, IN
Coached by Jordan Mayer
President’s Bowl Original Oratory
Angad Singh Ì
Bellarmine College Prep, CA
Coached by Aaron Langerman
Interp Bowl - Duo Interp presented by Mike Edmonds
Jayden Brown Ì and Avi Gupta
Archbishop Mitty High School, CA
Coached by Karen Cruz, BJ Cruz, John Harris, Mark Woodhead, and Michaela Northrop
USA Debate Team
(left to right, top row)
Anthony Babu, Concord Carlisle High School, MA
Valerie Gu, Milton Academy, MA
Jiya Jolly, Isidore Newman School, LA
Arrman Kapoor, Plano West Sr. High School, TX
Taite Kirkpatrick, Mount Vernon High School, WA
Rebecca Liu, Cary Academy, NC (bottom row)
Anuj Lohtia, Plano West Sr. High School, TX
Helios Lung, Monte Vista High School, CA
Cailyn Min, Bergen County Academies, NJ
www.speechanddebate.org/ nationals-history
Chukwuka Okwumabua, The Westminster Schools, GA
Felicity Wong, Milton Academy, MA
Sherry Zhang, Greenhill School, TX Find National Tournament award winners and champions from 1931 to 2025!
Senator Karl E. Mundt Congress Sweepstakes Trophy
Presented annually to the school that has accumulated the most Congressional Debate participation points
Bruno E. Jacob Pi Kappa Delta Trophy
Washburn Rural High School in Kansas
Bruno E. Jacob Commendation
Presented to any coach of record who has coached more than 50% of the points at the time of winning the Bruno E. Jacob Trophy
Timothy Ellis
The Unger Cup
American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus in Florida
Coached by Bo Lint, Emily Stegawski, and Sasha DiMare Students: Sebastian Asady, Bryan Dominguez, Matthew Dominguez, Bhav Jain, Ryon Jemail, Enan Khan, Jordan Melamed, and Alexander Schrier
Presented annually to the school that has accumulated the greatest number of main event rounds at the National Tournament
Albert S. Odom Commendation
Presented to the current advisor on record of the school receiving the Bruno E. Jacob / Pi Kappa Delta Trophy
Cynthia Burgett and Timothy Ellis
Awarded to the Policy Debate program that has placed the highest cumulatively at five great national debate tournaments
Taipei American School in Taiwan
Coached by Chase Williams, Lawrence Zhou, Micah Cook, Jiyoon Park, Jimin Park, and Jet Semrick
Ted W. Belch Award
Presented to the advisor of the champion Policy Debate Team
Chase Williams
100 YEARS OF SPEECH AND DEBATE
Our Centennial Celebration included special events and giveaways throughout the week. Leading up to Nationals, teams shared their speech and debate stories and submitted photos for the 100 Years of Speech and Debate mosaic banner. During registration, attendees received commemorative speech and debate pennants, lanyards, and program books. At the schools, students wrote messages on birthday banners and judges enjoyed free birthday cake in the hospitality lounges. Participants also had the opportunity to explore 100 years of speech and debate history via the Centennial Timeline. Located in the Hilton Skywalk connected to the Iowa Events Center, the interactive experience featured documents and videos from the archives, final round performances dating back to the 1980s, a recording from the White House, and more. You can access the timeline on our website: www.speechanddebate.org/centennial-timeline . Learn how the organization started, challenges we’ve faced over the years, and how we plan to further our reach over the next 100 years! 1925–2025
It shall be the purpose of this organization to promote the interests of interscholastic debate, oratory, and public speaking by encouraging a spirit of fellowship and by conferring upon deserving candidates a worthy badge of distinction.
— Bruno E. Jacob’s founding statement, 1925
CENTENNIAL TIMELINE
The National Speech & Debate Association’s Centennial Timeline is a journey through a century of empowering voices, fostering critical thinking, and shaping tomorrow’s leaders. From our beginnings in 1925 as the National Forensic League to our evolution into the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization in the U.S., this timeline celebrates the milestones that define our legacy. As we mark 100 years, we invite you to explore the rich history that has propelled us forward.
Our history is more than dates—it’s a testament to the lasting impact of speech and debate on individuals and communities. Over the decades, we’ve launched groundbreaking initiatives, world-class competitions, and transformative resources that empower students to find their voice and make a difference. These milestones reflect our commitment to expanding access, fostering inclusion, and adapting to a changing educational landscape.
The timeline highlights the challenges we’ve overcome, the innovations we’ve embraced, and the individuals who’ve shaped our path. By examining our past, we gain insight into the principles of equity, integrity, respect, leadership, and service that remain central to our mission. As we look to the next 100 years, our history stands as both foundation and beacon—reminding us of the power of words and the importance of thoughtful discourse in a democratic society.
The timeline is now available in digital format on our website at:
www.speechanddebate.org/centennial-timeline
2025 MIDDLE SCHOOL NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Presented by the National Geographic Society, Summit Debate, and Advantage Communications
The 2025 Middle School National Tournament was held June 17-20, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. Middle School Nationals is an open invitational tournament, and all middle school NSDA members were welcome to compete for a chance to be named a middle school national champion!
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Congressional Debate
1st – Zitian Qiao
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter and Connor Huffman
2nd – Annie Chiang
Hathaway Brown Middle School, Ohio
Coached by Jason Habig
3rd – Shivam Singh
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
4th – Lillian Liu
Windemere Ranch ADACC, California
Coached by Jenny Abdelmalek
5th – Ryker Scott
The Weiss School, Florida
Coached by Patti Dowling
MIDDLE SCHOOL
World Schools Debate
1st – Team Spain Blue
Irene Gómez, Guillermo Fernández, Santiago Bellver, and Júlia Carro
Maristas Valencia Middle School, Spain
Coached by Miguel Marco
2nd – Team Canada White
Jeffery Ju, Gloria Ma, Daniel Jiang, Vivian Sui, and Joie Li
FDT Academy Middle School, British Columbia, Canada
Coached by Frankie Cena
Semifinalists – Team Tierra Linda CLS
Katya Chikanov, Ella Lee-Donley, and Sruthi Sivaraman
Tierra Linda Middle School, California
Coached by Gianna Colby, Collin Tuerk, Rashon Leday, and Marty De
Semifinalists – Team China Blue
Check out photos from the 2025 National Speech & Debate Tournament: tinyurl.com/4zxcty6n
6th – Nikhil Merla
BASIS Ahwatukee Middle, Arizona
Coached by Kelley Estes and Julie Bohling
Ethan Wong, Kingston Ye, and Ryan Chen
Dialogy, China
Coached by Amrit Agastia, David Peterson, and Cayman Giordano
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
presented in memory of Tina Wang
1st – Owen Yin
BASIS Ahwatukee Middle, Arizona
Coached by Stacey Trepanier, Rayna Shaik, Naina Shaik and Pauline Kousoulas
2nd – Ryan Lin
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson and David Kilpatrick
Semifinalist –Katelyn Crawford
Mount View Middle School, Maryland
Coached by Monty Crawford
Semifinalist –Ashani Ruwan
La Canada Middle School, California
Coached by Mike Kyle, Jung Park, and Tiya Basilio
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Public Forum Debate
1st – Vishnu
Kummariguntla and Milan Thacker
Windemere Ranch ADACC, California
Coached by Jenny Abdelmalek
2nd – Ray He and Claire Au
Stratford Middle School - San Jose, California
Coached by Ping Luo
Semifinalists – Advaith
Rajesh and Avyay Ganesh
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson and David Kilpatrick
Semifinalists – Manvik
Chappidi and Ronald Hart III
Nysmith School, Virginia
Coached by Maria-Theresa
Dragg and Kimberly Cooper
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Policy Debate
1st – Erick Williams and Anedwin Moran
MS 50, New York
Coached by Miana Vega, Ben Honoroff, and Sofia Bosch
2nd – Iris Wilkins and Arabella Bernstein
Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, D.C.
Coached by Whitney Grimm
Semifinalists –
Aurora Felton and Emma Elton-Melzi
Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, D.C.
Coached by Whitney Grimm
Semifinalists –
William Lin and Ethan Yan
Sierra Vista Middle SchoolIrvine, California
Coached by
Noah Christiansen and Gordon Krauss
1st – Nishan Jacob
Coached by Baylor Winters
MIDDLE SCHOOL Declamation
Brownell Talbot Middle School, Nebraska
2nd – Grayson Pacheco
Bixby Middle School, Oklahoma
Coached by Toni Ross
3rd – Aanya Desai
Jonas Clarke Middle, Massachusetts
Coached by Brinda Kamdar
4th – Mikhail Charaus
Almaden Country Day School, California
Coached by Christopher Wardner
5th – Antonio Schwab
Sterling Middle School, Illinois
Coached by Mariela GarciaAlvarado, Raul Ruano, Emily Trader, and Sal Tinajero
6th – Sophia Salas
Orange Grove Middle School, California
Coached by Joel AnguianoDelgado, Megan Thompson, and Kimberly Cruz-Alvarado
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mixed
Extemporaneous Speaking
1st – Kabir Rai
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
2nd – Avelyn Jing
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson and David Kilpatrick
3rd – Ayan Shukla
Grand Rapids City Middle, Michigan
Coached by William Harris
4th – Rohin Joshi
Bob Lanier Middle School, Texas
Coached by Franz Hill
5th – Jiayou Liu
Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, California
Coached by Carl Trigilio and Iain Lampert
6th – Avinoor Jutla
Abraham Lincoln, Florida
Coached by Marna Weston, Joni Perkins, and Chaman Jutla
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Impromptu Speaking MIDDLE SCHOOL
1st – Kabir Rai
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
2nd – Dexin Kong
Edgewood Middle, California
Coached by Sal Tinajero and Emily Benavides
3rd – Siri Chundru
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson and David Kilpatrick
4th – Avelyn Jing
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson and David Kilpatrick
5th – Dhruva Gopal
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson and David Kilpatrick
6th – Evelyn Pomatto
BASIS Scottsdale Middle School, Arizona
Coached by Daniel Waks and Scott Woods
Original Oratory
1st – Sabrina Samidon
Parks Junior High, California
Coached by Adriena Toghia, Amelia Burns, and Caroline Doan
2nd – Samika Sadasivan
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
3rd – Raihan Alhadi
Granite Ridge Intermediate, California
Coached by Chad Hayden
4th – Suha Chaudhary
Granite Ridge Intermediate, California
Coached by Chad Hayden
5th – Antonio Schwab
Sterling Middle School, Illinois
Coached by Mariela GarciaAlvarado, Raul Ruano, Emily Trader, and Sal Tinajero
6th – Zaiden Tang
Cedarlane Academy, California
Coached by Joel AnguianoDelgado, Megan Thompson, and Kimberly Cruz-Alvarado
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Original Spoken Word Poetry
1st – Madeline Zhuravel
American Heritage Broward MS, Florida
Coached by Joele Denis, Charese Folks, Spencer Orlowski, Stephen Scopa, and Thadeus Smith
2nd – Dhruv Patel
American Heritage Palm Beach Middle School, Florida
Coached by Bo Lint
3rd – Syrena Davinder
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
4th – Damilola Adeoshun
E. A. Olle Middle School, Texas
Coached by George Tennison, Tomi Akinwande, and Muhammad Khaerisman
5th – Jayleen Vega
Nicolas Junior High, California
Coached by Adriena Toghia, Amelia Burns, and Caroline Doan
6th – Alysa Sanchez
Nicolas Junior High, California
Coached by Adriena Toghia, Amelia Burns, and Caroline Doan
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Dramatic Interpretation
1st – Adrian Nanez Rivera
Vela Middle School, Texas
Coached by Natalia Garza
2nd – Berkley Allen
Thomas L. Sims Middle School, Florida
Coached by Ashley Carter and Nicole Allen
3rd – Camila Rohrbough
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
4th – Adriana
Santiago-Mendez
Bixby Middle School, Oklahoma
Coached by Toni Ross
5th – Yasmine
Peregrino-brimah
Hamilton Heights Middle School, New York
Coached by Ryan L. Gosling and June Kouch
6th – Elizabeth Ibeku
E. A. Olle Middle School, Texas
Coached by George Tennison, Tomi Akinwande, and Muhammad Khaerisman
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Humorous Interpretation
1st – Marvin Polnitz
Trewyn Middle School, Illinois
Coached by Mariela GarciaAlvarado, Raul Ruano, Emily Trader, and Niles Jones
2nd – Anasofia Corrales
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
3rd – Dahun Lee
Beechwood Middle School, California
Coached by Adriena Toghia, Amelia Burns, and Caroline Doan
4th – Otis Barrow
Louis Armstrong Middle School, New York
Coached by Mike Kyle and Danny Glasgow
5th – Christopher Kiker
Beechwood Middle School, California
Coached by Adriena Toghia, Amelia Burns, and Caroline Doan
6th – Anushka Thakur
Redwood Middle School, California
Coached by Jenny Cook, Monika Kadakia, and Parul Shandiya
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Duo Interpretation
1st – Ronin Navarrete and Berkley Allen
Thomas L. Sims Middle School, Florida
Coached by Ashley Carter and Nicole Allen
2nd – Syrena Davinder and Saisha Davinder
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
3rd – Rexford Lee and Joaquin Vasiliadis Westglades Middle School, Florida
Coached by Brooke Pappas
4th – Camila Rohrbough and Vesper Garza
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
5th – Nikky Le and Logan Rude
Heritage Middle School, North Dakota
Coached by Cassidy Hughes, Katie Bolstad, Kelly Timmerman, and Nathan Amberg
6th – Lorenzo Williamson and Desmond Hayes II Edgewood Middle, California
Coached by Sal Tinajero and Emily Benavides
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Program Oral Interpretation
1st – Vesper Garza
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
2nd – Yasmine
Peregrino-brimah
Hamilton Heights Middle School, New York
Coached by Ryan L. Gosling and June Kouch
3rd – Arjun Parikh
Parks Junior High, California
Coached by Adriena Toghia, Amelia Burns, and Caroline Doan
4th – Marisol Gonzalez
Edgewood Middle, California
Coached by Sal Tinajero and Emily Benavides
5th – Audrianna Pina
Tom Browne Middle School, Texas
Coached by Sarah Garcia
6th – Elyse Lam
Tierra Linda Middle School, California
Coached by Gianna Colby, Collin Tuerk, Rashon Leday, and Marty De
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Poetry Interpretation
1st – Bailey Palencia
Cedarlane Academy, California
Coached by Joel AnguianoDelgado, Megan Thompson, and Kimblery Cruz-Alvarado
2nd – Eva Anthony
St. Pius X/St. Leo School, Nebraska
Coached by Jennifer Martinez
3rd – Elizabeth Ibeku
E. A. Olle Middle School, Texas
Coached by George Tennison, Tomi Akinwande, and Muhammad Khaerisman
4th – Natalia Reyes
Mesa Robles School, California
Coached by Joel AnguianoDelgado, Megan Thompson, and Kimberly Cruz-Alvarado
5th – Darcy Lam
Edgewood Middle, California
Coached by Sal Tinajero and Emily Benavides
6th – Dyllan Ellis
Bob Lanier Middle School, Texas
Coached by Franz Hill
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Prose Interpretation
1st – Charlie Strohmeyer
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
2nd – Camila Rohrbough
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
3rd – Dyllan Ellis
Bob Lanier Middle School, Texas
Coached by Franz Hill
4th – Luis Ostos
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
5th – Adrian Nanez
Rivera
Vela Middle School, Texas
Coached by Natalia Garza
6th – Kason Castilleja
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Informative Speaking
1st – Michelle Ding
Flintridge Preparatory School, California
Coached by Nicole Dalton, Maggie Woodward, Tiffany Dunia, and Frida Ramirez
2nd – Kyuri Lee
Robert C. Fisler Middle School, California
Coached by Amelia Burns, Caroline Doan, and Mariela Garcia-Alvarado
3rd – Kaeya Bhide
Stratford School Milpitas, California
Coached by Gayatri Bhide and Syona Bhide
4th – Lumi Yaida
Tierra Linda Middle School, California
Coached by Gianna Colby, Collin Tuerk, Rashon Leday, and Marty De
5th – Ravenna Gigstead
Robert C. Fisler Middle School, California
Coached by Amelia Burns, Caroline Doan, and Mariela Garcia-Alvarado
6th – Saisha Davinder
The Village Middle School, Texas
Coached by Heather Huffman, Rob Gale, Eric Porter, and Connor Huffman
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Storytelling
1st – Berkley Allen
Thomas L. Sims Middle School, Florida
Coached by Ashley Carter and Nicole Allen
2nd – Logan Rude
Heritage Middle School, North Dakota
Coached by Cassidy Hughes, Katie Bolstad, Kelly Timmerman, and Nathan Amberg
3rd – Oliver Berg
Orono Middle School, Minnesota
Coached by Barbara Shofner and Nicolle Berg
4th – Lauren Elliott
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Coached by Matthew Roy Rodriguez
5th – Logan Campos
Cabot Junior High South, Arkansas
Coached by Macy Foss and Jas Dysmas
6th – Aaron Sandoval
Mesa Robles School, California
Coached by Joel AnguianoDelgado, Megan Thompson, and Kimberly Cruz-Alvarado
World Schools
Top Speaker
Mario Liu
Dialogy, China
Coached by Amrit Agastia, David Peterson, and Cayman Giordano
Lincoln-Douglas Top Speaker
Derek Ding
The Harker Middle School, California
Coached by Hannah Wilson, David Kilpatrick, and Nathan Fleming
MIDDLE SCHOOL Debate Awards
Public Forum Top Speaker
Adhiyan Karthikeyan
Fulton Science Academy, Georgia
Coached by Siobhan Connolly, Susan Rhee, and Karthikeyan Thamilarasu
Policy Debate Top Speaker
Aurora Felton
Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, D.C. Coached by Whitney Grimm
Congress Final Session Presiding Officer
Lillian Liu
Windemere Ranch Middle School ADACC, California
Coached by Jenny Abdelmalek
SUPERSTAR SUPPORT! At the end of last year, Rodney and Cindi Savoy donated $25,000 to the Road to Nationals Fund in honor of Josette Surratt for the 2025 National Tournament. We send a special thank you to Rodney and Cindi for their support!
The Road to Nationals Fund, founded by the William Woods Tate, Jr., Memorial Fund (often called “the Tate Fund”) is designed to help students attend the high school National Speech & Debate Tournament. The Road to Nationals Fund provides financial assistance to schools who are lacking financial resources to attend the National Tournament. www.speechanddebate.org/ road-to-nationals
www.speechanddebate.org/start-here/
Your roadmap to introducing speech and debate events to students.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been coaching for decades, our grab-and-go Start Here series of lesson plans for middle and high school speech and debate have something for you!
Honors and Awards
Frank Sferra Director’s Commendation
Deborah Garoui Keller High School Texas
PASSION PAYS OFF!
Deborah Garoui, a single mom, cancer survivor, fierce speech and debate advocate, and recipient of the 2025 Director’s Commendation, was awarded $100,000 from Canva! Watch the unforgettable moment featured on CBS Mornings!
https://tinyurl.com/ ytfuh3e3
Brother René Sterner Lifetime Service Award
Dr. Alan Coverstone NSDA Board of Directors Virginia
Communicator of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Urie Actor, producer, director, and host 1998 Dramatic Interpretation national champion
Pelham Commendation
SPOTLIGHT STORY! Learn more about Deb, her family, and her team in the Coach Profile in our April/May 2023 Rostrum! https://tinyurl.com/2sdscehc
Josh Gad Actor, author, and producer Three-time national champion
Kate Hamm Ransom Everglades School Florida
James M. Copeland Coach of the Year
Kelley Kirkpatrick
Mount Vernon High School Washington
High School Assistant Coach of the Year
Jennifer Kaskalla Navajo Preparatory School New Mexico
Event Title Namesake –Public Forum Debate
Donus Roberts NSDA President Emeritus and 11-Diamond Coach South Dakota
Sam Kane Frederick Douglass High School Louisiana High School New Coach of the Year
BRIDGING BARRIERS! Watch Brendan Stern’s acceptance video to learn more about CDDA’s programs bringing speech and debate to deaf and hard of hearing students!
2025 Activating Equity Award
Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA)
Dr. Brendan Stern, Executive Director Washington, D.C.
High School Administrator of the Year
Marc Kerschner Principal of Cheyenne East High School Wyoming
Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award- 15th Honors
Gail Nicholas Bob Jones Academy South Carolina
FAMILY OF THE YEAR! Kelley’s child, Taite, is the 2025 Student of the Year!
Diamond Coach Awards
Paul Gieringer Marshall High School Missouri
Ninth Diamond
Seventh Diamond
Seventh Diamond
Seventh Diamond
Nick Panopoulos
Cherry Creek HS Colorado
Lexy Green College Prep California
Christine Adams
Independence Truman HS Missouri
Seventh Diamond
Seventh Diamond
Seventh Diamond
Suzanne Terry Tennessee
David Matley Monte Vista HS California
Mary Gormley Delbarton School New Jersey
A bequest in your estate plan (also known as a planned gift) costs nothing today, but provides sustained support to the National Speech & Debate Association for years to come. It is a powerful way to create a lasting impact. Establish your legacy with the causes that matter the most to you. Find our list of current donors at: www.speechanddebate.org/1925-society
The National Speech & Debate Association is grateful to the members of the 1925 Society for pledging a generous planned gift contribution.
Sixth Diamond
Jimmy Smith Collinsville HS Texas
Not Pictured: Sixth Diamond – Paulette Manville, Shawnee Mission East HS, Kansas
Sixth Diamond
Sean Nicewaner Liberty North HS Missouri
Sixth Diamond
Bruce Benson Madison HS - Rexburg Idaho
Sixth Diamond Russ Tidwell Garden City HS Kansas
Sixth Diamond
Kathy Martin Dilworth Glyndon Felton HS Minnesota
Sixth Diamond David Williams Newton HS Kansas
Sixth Diamond
Doug McConnaha Corvallis HS - Corvallis Montana
Sixth Diamond
Rebecca Meyer-Larson Moorhead HS Minnesota
Milestone School Attendance Awards
Billings West High School Montana
50th
Kickapoo High School Missouri
50th
2025 Schools of Outstanding Distinction
American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus, Florida
Archbishop Mitty High School, California
Bellarmine College Prep, California
Cary Academy, North Carolina
Gabrielino High School, California
James Logan High School, California
Leland High School, California
Schools of Excellence in Debate
Blue Valley North High School, Kansas
Charlotte Latin School, North Carolina
Claremont High School, California
Cupertino High School, California
Delbarton School, New Jersey
Dougherty Valley High School, California
Eagan High School, Minnesota
East Ridge High School, Minnesota
Edina High School, Minnesota
George Washington High School, Colorado
Greenhill School, Texas
Hawken School, Ohio
Isidore Newman School, Louisiana
Monta Vista High School, California
Oakwood High School, Ohio
Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, California
Saratoga High School, California
Shawnee Mission East High School, Kansas
St. Paul Central High School, Minnesota
Taipei American School, Taiwan
Schools of Honor in Debate
BASIS Peoria High School, Arizona
Bellaire High School, Texas
Brophy College Prep, Arizona
Emerald High School, California
Flintridge Preparatory, California
Flower Mound High School, Texas
Hathaway Brown School, Ohio
Hellgate High School, Montana
Jenks High School, Oklahoma
Ladue Horton Watkins High School, Missouri
Lexington High School, Massachusetts
Loyola High School, California
Miramonte High School, California
North Allegheny High School, Pennsylvania
Northridge High School, Alabama
Olentangy Liberty High School, Ohio
Packer Collegiate Institute, New York
Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona
Redlands High School, California
Ridge High School, New Jersey
Seven Lakes High School, Texas
Shawnee Mission South High School, Kansas
The Potomac School, Virginia
Western High School, Florida
Westridge School, California
Lincoln East High School, Nebraska
Monte Vista High School, California
Plano West Sr. High School, Texas
Schools of Excellence in Speech
American Heritage School - Broward, Florida
Apple Valley High School, Minnesota
Choctaw High School, Oklahoma
David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, Louisiana
Eastview High School, Minnesota
Garland High School, Texas
George Washington High School, Colorado
Harlingen High School, Texas
Harlingen High School South, Texas
Lakeville North High School, Minnesota
Moorhead High School, Minnesota
Munster High School, Indiana
Newark Central High School, New Jersey
Plano Senior High School, Texas
Plymouth High School, Indiana
Prior Lake High School, Minnesota
Ransom Everglades, Florida
Ridge High School, New Jersey
Riverside High School, South Carolina
Tompkins High School, Texas
Schools of Honor in Speech
Acalanes High School, California
BASIS Chandler High School, Arizona
Chanhassen High School, Minnesota
College Preparatory, California
Concord Carlisle High School, Massachusetts
Cypress Ranch High School, Texas
Elk River Senior High School, Minnesota
Elkins High School, Texas
Fairmont High School, Minnesota
Fort Gibson High School, Oklahoma
Grapevine High School, Texas
Hendrickson High School, Texas
La Salle College Prep, California
Lincoln Southeast High School, Nebraska
Lincoln Southwest High School, Nebraska
Mason High School, Ohio
MIDDLE SCHOOL – SCHOOL AWARDS
Mounds Park Academy, Minnesota
O’Gorman High School, South Dakota
Prestonwood Christian Academy, Texas
Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas
Scarsdale High School, New York
Sioux Falls Jefferson High School, South Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt High School, Iowa
Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma
Westridge School, California
Westwood High School, California
Willard High School, Missouri
Winward School, California
Overall Schools of Excellence in Speech and Debate
Bob Lanier Middle School, Texas
The Harker Middle School, California
The Village Middle School, Texas
Schools of Excellence in Debate Schools of Excellence in Speech
Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, D.C.
Arizona College Prep Middle School, Arizona
BASIS Ahwatukee Middle, Arizona
La Canada Middle School, Arizona
Windemere Ranch ADACC, California
Beechwood Middle School, California
Cedarline Academy, California
Edgewood Middle School, California
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, Texas
Parks Junior High School, California
WHAT IS BIG QUESTIONS?
Big Questions is a debate format designed to open students’ minds and encourage them to engage in life discussion that may not align with their previously held beliefs. Whether or not students change their opinion, the rich experience of this debate event will advance their knowledge, comfort, and interest in learning more about the subject matter based on the intersection of science and philosophy.
Students greatly improved in their debate skills as the Big Questions tournament progressed. The students really had fun with it and got into the debate. It was nice for me as their teacher and coach to see improvement in their skills.
RESOURCES
f Big Questions Final Rounds Archive
f Big Questions Judge Training
f BIG QUESTIONS LESSON PLAN –Constructing an Argument
f BIG QUESTIONS LESSON PLAN –Refuting an Argument
2025 CHAMPION CALEB WALDRON and 2025 FINALIST HARINI ARUN
MICHAEL