2021 National Speech & Debate Champions
Speech Events
Lanny D. and B. J. Naegelin Dramatic Interpretation
Giana Martinez from L. C. Anderson High School, TX
Coached by Miguel Harvey and Michael Jennings
Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr. Asynchronous Split-Screen Duo Interpretation
Patrick Pham and Augustus Boettcher from St. Thomas High School, TX
Coached by Darrell Yarbrough
Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr. Live Duo Interpretation
Frank Knier and Jonah Johnson from Apple Valley High School, MN
Coached by Daniel Hodges
Humorous Interpretation
Pranay Mathur from Millard North High School, NE
Coached by Sabrina Denney Bull and Jackson Gzehoviak
Informative Speaking
Anneteke Adoga from Woodbury High School, MN
Coached by Suzanne White, Dillon White, and Suha Musa
A. C. Eley International Extemporaneous Speaking
Pranav Pattatathunaduvil from Plano West Senior High School, TX
Coached by Robey Holland
Pam and Joe Wycoff Original Oratory
Blythe Castille from St. Thomas More Catholic High School, LA
Coached by Megan Broussard and Veronica Colmenarez
Program Oral Interpretation
Sophia Williams from Miramar High School, FL
Coached by Nicole Allen Ryan
Carmendale Fernandes United States Extemporaneous Speaking
Laurel Holley from Riverside High School, SC
Coached by Julia Murray, McGregor Cook, Heather Brown-Cook, David Dejesa, and Pete Martin
Debate Events
Congressional Debate – House
Alexandra Smith from East Ridge High School, MN
Coached by Katie Scholz, Tammy Trout McIntyre, and Kevin Jacobson
Congressional Debate – Senate
Atharv Kulkarni from Jasper High School, TX
Coached by Tom McCaffrey
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Katie Jack from George Washington High School, CO
Coached by Maryrose Kohan, Devin Sarno and Miles Owens
Richard B. Sodikow Policy Debate
Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha from Bellarmine College Preparatory, CA
Coached by Aaron Langerman, Ani Prabhu, and Tyler Vergho
Public Forum Debate
Carina Guo and Jennifer Lin from Richard Montgomery High School, MD
Coached by Adam Thane and Morgan Coffin
World Schools Debate
Team Space City Violet – Alief Elsik High School, TX
Diego Castillo
Ebenezer Appiah
Rodrigo Trujillo
Anthony Hoang
Coached by Ashley Freeman and Andy Stubbs
Big Questions Debate
Oam Patel from Mountain Home High School, ID
Coached by Robin Christensen
Supplemental Events
Brother René Sterner Prepared Commentary
Eric Lee from Monta Vista High School, CA
Coached by Eric D’sa
Expository Speaking
Caleb Brantley from Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, IL
Coached by Bill Fleming
Extemporaneous Debate
Kaitlyn Maher from The Potomac School, VA
Coached by Harry Strong, Max Hardt, Jeremy Metz, and Danny Drane
Original Spoken Word Poetry
Logan Green from Hattiesburg High School, MS
Coached by Reginald Chapman and Scott Waldrop
Poetry Reading
Jayden Roccaforte from Cheyenne East High School, WY
Coached by Ashley Schulz
Prepared Prompt Speaking
Nya Ware from Southland College Prep Charter High School, IL
Coached by Cheryl Frazier
Pro Con Challenge
Aaron Chen from Grand Rapids City, MI
Coached by William Harris
Prose Reading
Divya Krishnan from Ridge High School, NJ
Coached by David Yastremski, Stephanie Fletcher, and Sam Hoffman
Storytelling
Meghan Galindo from Classical Christian Academy, MO
Coached by Kristen Gammon
National Student of the Year
2021 National Student of the Year
Theia Chatelle
St. Michael-Albertsville High School, MN
The William Woods Tate, Jr., National Student of the Year award, presented by Richard Bitner, is one of the most honorable and renowned student awards presented by the NSDA. The Student of the Year is awarded to a graduating senior member who has been honored as a District Student of the Year and who best represents the tenets of the Association’s Code of Honor: humility, equity, integrity, respect, leadership, and service.
