About the Team

History

Niles West has a strong tradition in policy debate.  In 1995, Armands Revelins and George Kouros won the most prestigious debate tournament in the country, the Tournament of Champions (TOC) in Lexington, Kentucky.  That same year, Kristen Langwell and Rachel Gressel also won the NFL Nationals tournament.  Those teams were coached by John Heintz, former Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for Niles Township.

Judge Merrick Garland, Obama nominee for the Supreme Court, also participated on the debate team.  Below is his record card for participating in the National Forensics League (NFL).

Recent Accomplishments

The Niles West program went on hiatus for several years before being rebooted for the 2010-2011 season with new head coach Eric Oddo and assistant coach Matt Fahrenbacher.  The team has won multiple accolades in its first years back, including:

2018-2019

• • Winning the Varsity Division of the MSU Tournament

  • Winning the Novice Division of the Bettendorf and Golden Valley Tournament

  • Finalists in the Novice Division of the Bettendorf, Glenbrooks, MSU, Dowling, and Golden Valley Tournaments

  • Semifinalists in the Novice Division of the Downling, IDCA, and Woodward Tournaments

  • Quarterfinalists in the Varsity Division of the Stanford Tournament

  • 1st Place Speaker in the Novice Division of the Maine East Tournament

  • 2nd Place Speaker in the Novice Division of the Bettendorf, MSU, Golden Valley, Maine East, and IDCA Tournaments

2017-2018

• • Winning the Varsity division of the IHSA State, Greenhill, and Pine Crest Round Robin Tournaments

  • Winning the JV division of the Glenbrooks Tournament

  • Finalists in the Varsity division of the Michigan State University and National Speech and Debate Association Tournaments

  • Finalists in the JV division of the Michigan State University Tournament

  • Semifinalists in the Varsity division of the Glenbrooks Tournament

  • Quarterfianlists in the Varsity division of the Kelly, Stanford, Michigan, New Trier, St Marks, and Pine Crest Tournaments

  • Octofinalists at the Tournament of Champions, Evanston, IHSA State, Dowling, Michigan, Emory, and NDCA Tournaments

  • 2nd Speaker at the IHSA State Tournament

2016-2017

• • Winning the Varsity division of the Kanellis Tournament

  • Finalists in the Novice division of the Woodward Novice Championships Tournament

  • Semifinalists in the Varsity division of the Stanford and IHSA State Tournaments

  • Quarterfinalists in the Varsity division of the Michigan and IHSA State Tournaments

  • Octofinalists in the Varsity division of the Downling, Evanston, NDCA, New Trier, Notre Dame, Ohio Valley, Pine Crest, and Stanford Tournaments

  • 1st Speaker in the Varsity division of the Kanellis and IHSA State Tournaments

  • 2nd Spaker in the Varsity division of the Kanellis Tournament

  • 2nd Speaker in the Novice division of the Evanston Tournament

2014-2015

• • Winning the Varsity division of the Dowling Tournament

  • Winning the JV division of the Glenbrooks and Groves Tournaments

  • Winning the Novice division of the Lane Tech Tournament

  • Finalists in the Novice division of the IDCA Tournament

  • Semifinalists in the Varsity division of the IHSA State and Georgetown Tournaments

  • Quarterfinalists in the Varsity division of the Evanston, Ohio Valley, and New Trier Tournaments

  • Octofinalists in the Varsity division of the St. Marks and Greenhill Tournaments

  • Run Off Round Participants at the Tournament of Champions

  • 1st Speaker in the Varsity division of the Kanellis Tournament

  • 1st Speaker in the JV division of the Groves Tournament

  • 1st Speaker in the Novice division of the Glenbrooks, Lane Tech, and Ohio Valley Tournaments

2013-2014

• • Winning the Varsity division of the Evanston, Homewood-Flossmoor and Morgan Park Tournaments

  • Winning the JV Division of the Wake and Glenbrooks Tournaments

  • Winning the Novice Division of the Morgan Park and Homewood-Flossmoor Tournaments

  • Finalists in the Varsity division of the Lane Tech Tournament

  • Semifinalists in the Varsity division of IHSA State and Kelly Tournaments

  • Quarterfinalists in the Varsity division of the New Trier, Glenbrooks, Ohio Valley and Blake Tournaments 

  • 1st Speaker in the Varsity division of the Evanston, Lane Tech, MBA, Dowling, Ohio Valley, Kelly, Northwestern RR, and Morgan Park Tournament

  • 1st Speaker in the JV division of the IDCA Tournament

  • 1st Speaker in the Novice division of the Homewood-Flossmoor, Evanston and Lane Tech Tournament

2011-2012

• • Winning the Novice division of the Lane Tech, Great Midwestern Novice National Championships, and ICTA State Debate Tournaments

  • Second place in the Junior Varsity division of the Glenbrooks and Woodward Nationals Tournaments

  • Semifinalist in the JV division of the Cal Debate Tournament and ICTA State Debate Tournament and in the Novice division of the Hockaday Debate Tournament

2010-2011

• • Winning the Novice division of the Kelly, Iowa City West, and Lane Tech Debate Tournaments

  • Second place in the Novice division of the Ohio Valley and ISTA State Debate Tournaments

  • Semifinalist in the Novice division of the Evanston Tournament

  • 1st and 3rd place speakers in the Novice division of the Evanston Tournament

  • Octafinalist in the Novice division of the Michigan Debate Tournament

Team Awards

National Speech and Debate Association Academic All-Americans

2025-2026 - 

2019-2020: Freskida Sejdiu and Hannah Kim

2018-2019: Eliana Bender

2017-2018: Nathan Glancy, Nasim Salehitezangi, and Rida Sheikh

2016-2017: Emily Silber

2014-2015: Rebecca Harbeck and James McLellan

2013-2014: Sana Khan, Jessie Amgalanjarga, Emma Lazar and Vinay Patel