Embedded Files
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 31 students have earned at least 1,000 points during the "modern era" of Woodward Debate (graduating classes 2012-present). The bolded students 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 22, 2026.
01. Max Abramson '17 — 1,802
02. Malachi Robinson '19 — 1,763
03. Mona Mahadevan '19 — 1,757
04. Arjun Srinivasan '18 — 1,689
05. Rahim Shakoor '12 — 1,645
06. Karthik Srinivasan '13 — 1,611
07. Lasya Paladugu '25 — 1,507
08. Tripp Haskins '17 — 1,506
09. Jason Sigalos '12 — 1,504
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. Lane Tharp '26 — 1,353
17. Nishita Ghanate '20 — 1,329
18. Ali Abdullah '17 — 1,279
19. John Masterson '25 — 1,262
20. Rishi Jain '27 — 1,255
21. Thad Cross '25 — 1,228
22. Callie Mitchell '23 — 1,198
23. Ria Thakur '22 — 1,167
24. Sahil Patel '15 — 1,158
25. Alizah Mudaliar '24 — 1,124
26. Anjana Murthy '24 — 1,122
27. Haarika Palarcharla '23 — 1,115
28. Alex Duner '13 — 1,095
29. Jay Yoon '23 — 1,061
30. Sam Wombough '20 — 1,058
31. 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 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029). Graduating seniors are bolded. This list was last updated on April 22, 2026.
01. Lane Tharp '26 — 1,353
02. Rishi Jain '27 — 1,255
03. William Rieck '26 — 984
04. Avy Agrawal '26 — 978
05. Evie Semaan '27 — 894
06. George Sloan '27 — 809
07. Jason Huang '28 — 733
08. Hannah Harrison '27 — 732
09. Aarush Hemachandran '28 — 719
10. Sabina Cross '27 — 712
11. Maisie Rainwater '27 — 679
12. Tim Wang '28 — 657
13. Audrey Dobranski '27 — 638
14. Ishan Sampat '28 — 594
15. Ziva Effron '28 — 561
16. Noureen Chranya '28 — 500
17. Rebecca Yin '26 — 470
18. Atas Agrawal '29 — 330
19. Navya Thotakura '29 — 321
20. Dhanush Paladugu '29 — 319
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. The number in parentheses is the total number of students earning points for this graduating class. Active classes are bolded. This list was last updated on April 22, 2026.
01. Class of 2017 — 8,678 (19)
02. Class of 2022 — 8,329 (15)
03. Class of 2025 — 7,902 (16)
04. Class of 2027 — 7,341 (16)
05. Class of 2023 — 7,307 (15)
06. Class of 2026 — 5,665 (21)
07. Class of 2024 — 5,637 (19)
08. Class of 2019 — 5,571 (9)
09. Class of 2016 — 5,410 (20)
10. Class of 2021 — 5,295 (30)
11. Class of 2018 — 5,213 (13)
12. Class of 2028 — 4,778 (16)
13. Class of 2020 — 4,351 (13)
14. Class of 2012 — 3,886 (3)
15. Class of 2015 — 3,448 (12)
16. Class of 2013 — 3,300 (4)
17. Class of 2029 — 2,250 (10)
18. Class of 2014 — 93 (1)
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
Page updated
Report abuse