2022 Middle School National Tournament Award Winners

The National Speech & Debate Association is proud to recognize the national champions and other award recipients from the 2022 Middle School National Speech & Debate Tournament, hosted online June 7-9.

 

Congressional Debate

National Champion
Celine Chang
Sierra Vista Middle School, CA

Second Place
Nina Bhattacharjee
Shattuck Middle School, WI

Third Place
Aadi Bhensdadia
Pine View School, FL

Fourth Place
Uzair Jinnah
The Village Middle School, TX

Fifth Place
Sijin Qu
Suzanne Middle School, CA

Sixth Place
Austin Koepke
Trinity Preparatory Middle School, FL

Final Round Presiding Officer
Asher Licata
A. D. Henderson University Middle School, FL

 

Declamation

National Co-Champion
Nicole Blanco
The Village Middle School, TX

National Co-Champion
Saketh Madhusudhan
Oak Middle School, MA

Third Place
Shruthi Nagulapalli
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Fourth Place
Pranya Nagpal
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Fifth Place
Madison Royalty
John F. Kennedy Catholic School, OH

Sixth Place
Luna Bouhairi
Jeffrey Trail Middle School, CA

 

Dramatic Interpretation

National Champion
Catalina Cabello-Corona
Vela Middle School, TX

Second Place
Emily Blackburn
Hindman Elementary School, KY

Third Place
Amal Israilova
American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Fourth Place
Arya Ajith
Episcopal School of Dallas, TX

Fifth Place
Bianca Rios
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Sixth Place
Bella Reif
Brandon Valley Middle School, SD

 

Duo Interpretation

National Champions
Vaani Gupta and Aierkana Ainiwaer
The Village Middle School, TX

Second Place
Azaria Castillo and Marlee Garza
Vela Middle School, TX

Third Place
Roger Shen and Jaidan Doshi
The Village Middle School, TX

Fourth Place
Mia Hartley and Emaline Van Duyne
Lincoln Junior High School, IN

Fifth Place
Aida Higginbotham and Lauren Barnette
Cabot Junior High South, AR

Sixth Place
Jessica Luo and Emma Kay
The Village Middle School, TX

 

Humorous Interpretation

National Champion
Helen Fang
Kraemer Middle School, CA

Second Place
Nicole Blanco
The Village Middle School, TX

Third Place
Shruthi Nagulapalli
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Fourth Place
Ella Kim
Robert C. Fisler Middle School, CA

Fifth Place
Quincy Bailey
South Range Middle School, OH

Sixth Place
Aimee Rivera
Parks Junior High, CA

 

Impromptu

National Champion
Pavitra Kasthuri
The Harker Middle School, CA

Second Place
Ahaana Baheti
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Third Place
Kaitlyn Horng
Valley Christian Junior High, CA

Fourth Place
Samuel Ma
The King’s Academy Middle School, CA

Fifth Place
Aaryan Wadwekar
Phoenix Country Day School, AZ

Sixth Place
Bowen Duan
The King’s Academy Middle School, CA

 

Informative Speaking

National Champion
Jade Capella
American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Second Place
Chloe Durandis
American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Third Place
Isai Alamilla
Advanced Learning Academy, CA

Fourth Place
Sritha Gaddam
Shakopee Junior High East, MN

Fifth Place
Jennifer Wu
Mesa Robels School, CA

Sixth Place
Emerson Forester
Westridge School, CA

 

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

National Champion
Ananya Pradhan
The Harker Middle School, CA

Second Place
Will Nichols
Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Semifinalist
Nikhil Daniel
Trinity Preparatory Middle School, FL

Semifinalist
Zoe Becker
Alice Deal Middle School, DC

 

Mixed Extemp Speaking

National Champion
Anuraa Venkat
Lake Middle School, MN

Second Place
Evan Wang
Bowditch Middle School, CA

Third Place
Krishna Mano
Grand Rapids City Middle, MI

Fourth Place
Wayne Lu
The King’s Academy Middle School, CA

Fifth Place
Angel Song
Walter Reed Middle, CA

Sixth Place
Rishi Raichur
Lake Middle School, MN

 

Original Oratory

National Champion
Luna Bouhairi
Jeffrey Trail Middle School, CA

Second Place
Audrey Ma
Polytechnic School, CA

Third Place
Yena Oh
Parks Junior High, CA

Fourth Place
Emma Andrews
Beresford Middle School, SD

Fifth Place
Sohan Bhakta
St. Mary’s Hall Middle School, TX

Sixth Place
Anya Rong
Quimby Oak Middle School, CA

 

Original Spoken Word Poetry

National Champion
Nicole Blanco
The Village Middle School, TX

Second Place
Sophia Gentile
Robert C. Fisler Middle School, CA

Third Place
Tristan Mai
The Village Middle School, TX

Fourth Place
Samya Arora
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Fifth Place
Pranya Nagpal
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Sixth Place
Anoushka Vijay
Chaboya Middle School, CA

 

Poetry

National Champion
Marlee Garza
Vela Middle School, TX

Second Place
Samya Arora
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Third Place
George Matthew Gutierrez
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Fourth Place
Annette Lee
Parks Junior High, CA

Fifth Place
Pranya Nagpal
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Sixth Place
Ava Salgado
Vela Middle School, TX

 

Pro Con Challenge

National Champion
Emily Bleker
Parks Junior High, CA

Second Place
Anya Rong
Quimby Oak Middle School, CA

Third Place
Wayne Lu
The King’s Academy Middle School, CA

Fourth Place
Sreekarthikeya Kankanala
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Fourth Place – TIE
Veda Bharath
Quimby Oak Middle School, CA

Sixth Place
Sophia Gentile
Robert C. Fisler Middle School, CA

 

Program Oral Interpretation

National Champion
Anna Feng
Legacy Magnet Academy, CA

Second Place
Piya Gaonkar
Chaboya Middle School, CA

Third Place
McKenna Monger
Orono Middle School, MN

Fourth Place
Mahathi Prabhu
Parks Junior High, CA

Fifth Place
Isai Alamilla
Advanced Learning Academy, CA

Sixth Place
Samya Arora
Chaboya Middle School, CA

 

Prose

National Co-Champion
Nicole Blanco
The Village Middle School, TX

National Co-Champion
Roger Shen
The Village Middle School, TX

Third Place – TIE
Churchill Tatton
Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Third Place – TIE
Hannah Oh
Parks Junior High, CA

Fifth Place
Natalie Hong
Parks Junior High, CA

Sixth Place
Lilyanna Hoffman
Ladera Vista Junior High, CA

 

Public Forum Debate

National Champions
Sarina Virmani and Helena Zhai
Nysmith School, VA

Second Place
Ava Cai and Joseph Tsang
Redwood Middle School, CA

Semifinalists
Kaitlyn Lavichant and Emma Xu
Flintridge Preparatory School, CA

Semifinalists
Richard Shan and Nicholas Reid Willett
Charlotte Latin Middle School, NC

 

Storytelling

National Champion
Maya Haugen
Orono Middle School, MN

Second Place
Erika Chen
Chaparral Middle, CA

Third Place
Yash Vallecha
The Pike School, MA

Fourth Place
Emma Andrews
Beresford Middle School, SD

Fifth Place
Lauren Reilly
Cabot Junior High North, AR

Sixth Place
Jane Kwak
Parks Junior High, CA

 

World Schools Debate

National Champions
China Dragons, China
– Sophia Gong
– Isabella Huang
– Chaewon Joung
– Haesol Park

Second Place
International Bilingual School of South Tainan, Taiwan
– Sophie Chiu
– Eunice Ho
– Eliana Ko
– Nethika Rajapakse
– Bo-Ning Wang

Semifinalists
Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, TX
– Keyri Beltran
– Gabriela Carrillo
– Alejandra De Los Reyes

Semifinalists
Cabot Jr. High, AR
– Nathan Armstrong
– Dylan Cox
– Chase Gwynne
– Adam Stanisor

 

School of Excellence Awards

Debate Schools of Excellence
China Middle, China
Flintridge Preparatory School, CA
Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, TX
Nysmith School, VA
Trinity Preparatory Middle School, FL

Speech Schools of Excellence
American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL
Chaboya Middle School, CA
Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX
Parks Junior High, CA
Shakopee Junior High East, MN

Overall Schools of Excellence
Alice Deal Middle School, DC
Quimby Oak Middle School, CA
The Village Middle School, TX