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The Woodward Academy Debate Team has successfully represented Woodward at tournaments throughout the country. Details about some of the squad's most impressive accomplishments are provided in the following pages.
Accomplishments By Season
Accomplishments By Season
The following pages describe Woodward's year-by-year accomplishments. The lists are as comprehensive as possible, but nearly all results from before the era of electronic tabulation are missing. We will continue to add to these listings as we uncover additional information.
2025-2026 (Topic: Arctic)
2024-2025 (Topic: Intellectual Property)
2023-2024 (Topic: Fiscal Redistribution)
2022-2023 (Topic: NATO Emerging Tech)
2021-2022 (Topic: Water Resources)
2020-2021 (Topic: Criminal Justice Reform)
2019-2020 (Topic: Arms Sales)
2018-2019 (Topic: Immigration)
2017-2018 (Topic: Education)
2016-2017 (Topic: China)
2015-2016 (Topic: Surveillance)
2014-2015 (Topic: Ocean Policy)
2013-2014 (Topic: Latin America)
2012-2013 (Topic: Infrastructure)
2011-2012 (Topic: Space)
2010-2011 (Topic: Military Presence)
2009-2010 (Topic: Social Services)
2008-2009 (Topic: Alternative Energy)
2007-2008 (Topic: Sub-Saharan Africa)
2006-2007 (Topic: National Service)
2005-2006 (Topic: Civil Liberties)
2004-2005 (Topic: UN Peacekeeping)
2003-2004 (Topic: Ocean Policy)
2002-2003 (Topic: Mental Health Care)
2001-2002 (Topic: Weapons of Mass Destruction)
2000-2001 (Topic: Privacy)
1999-2000 (Topic: Education)
1998-1999 (Topic: Russia)
1997-1998 (Topic: Renewable Energy)
1996-1997 (Topic: Juvenile Crime)
Accomplishments By Tournament
Accomplishments By Tournament
The following pages highlight Woodward's accomplishments at some of the most prestigious tournaments in the country that we still regularly attend.
The following pages highlight Woodward's accomplishments at tournaments that we no longer regularly attend.
Leading National Speech and Debate Association Point Earners (All-Time)
Leading National Speech and Debate Association Point Earners (All-Time)
Woodward debaters are eligible for membership in the National Speech and Debate Association (formerly National Forensic League) honor society. Students earn points by debating at competitions (six points for each win and three points for each loss), judging at competitions, and for public/service speaking.
The following 29 students have earned at least 1,000 points during the "modern era" of Woodward Debate (graduating classes 2012-present). The students in bold are the only Woodward students to achieve the Degree of Premier Distinction—the NSDA's highest degree for students—by earning 1,500 points.
This list was last updated on April 27, 2025.
1. Max Abramson '17 — 1,802
2. Malachi Robinson '19 — 1,763
3. Mona Mahadevan '19 — 1,757
4. Arjun Srinivasan '18 — 1,689
5. Rahim Shakoor '12 — 1,645
6. Karthik Srinivasan '13 — 1,611
7. Tripp Haskins '17 — 1,506
8. Jason Sigalos '12 — 1,504
9. Lasya Paladugu '25 — 1,479
10. Ashna Ghanate '22 — 1,477
11. Elizabeth Li '22 — 1,432
12. Sachi Reddy '21 — 1,425
13. Jack Hightower '22 — 1,381
14. Liliana Burgess '16 — 1,365
15. Alanna Pearson '18 — 1,359
16. Nishita Ghanate '20 — 1,329
17. Ali Abdullah '17 — 1,279
18. John Masterson '25 — 1,262
19. Callie Mitchell '23 — 1,198
20. Thad Cross '25 — 1,196
21. Ria Thakur '22 — 1,167
22. Sahil Patel '15 — 1,158
23. Alizah Mudaliar '24 — 1,124
24. Anjana Murthy '24 — 1,122
25. Haarika Palarcharla '23 — 1,115
26. Alex Duner '13 — 1,095
27. Jay Yoon '23 — 1,061
28. Sam Wombough '20 — 1,058
29. Carson Bates '23 — 1,056
Leading NSDA Point Earners (Active)
Leading NSDA Point Earners (Active)
The following students are Woodward's top 20 active NSDA point earners (graduating classes 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028). This list was last updated on April 27, 2025.
01. Lasya Paladugu '25 — 1,479
02. John Masterson '25 — 1,262
03. Thad Cross '25 — 1,196
04. Aaly Nanji '25 — 968
05. Lane Tharp '26 — 918
06. Anna Jane Harben '25 — 802
07. Rishi Jain '27 — 778
08. William Rieck '26 — 678
09. Avy Agrawal '26 — 675
10. Tanvi Pamulapati '25 — 651
11. Kayce Brown '25 — 648
12. Sabina Cross '27 — 584
13. Evie Semaan '27 — 560
14. George Sloan '27 — 541
15. Maisie Rainwater '27 — 517
16. Aubrey Dobranski '27 — 482
17. Hannah Harrison '27 — 473
18. Aarush Hemachandran '28 — 386
19. Ziva Effron '28 — 343
20. Jason Huang '28 — 327
Leading NSDA Point Earning Graduating Classes
Leading NSDA Point Earning Graduating Classes
In the "modern era" of Woodward debate (2012-present), the following are the leading graduating classes by total NSDA points earned. This list was last updated on April 27, 2025.
1. Class of 2017 — 8,678
2. Class of 2022 — 8,329
3. Class of 2025 — 7,842
4. Class of 2023 — 7,307
5. Class of 2024 — 5,637
6. Class of 2019 — 5,571
7. Class of 2027 — 5,557 *active*
7. Class of 2016 — 5,410
9. Class of 2021 — 5,295
10. Class of 2018 — 5,213
11. Class of 2026 — 4,478 *active*
12. Class of 2020 — 4,351
13. Class of 2012 — 3,886
14. Class of 2015 — 3,448
15. Class of 2013 — 3,300
16. Class of 2028 — 2,872 *active*
17. Class of 2024 — 93
Press Coverage
Press Coverage
The team has twice been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
"No argument about it, Cyclone whirls to top" — June 6, 1997
"Woodward debaters talk way to top" — September 14, 2009
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