Accomplishments
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
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.
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
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
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 24 students have earned at least 1,000 points during the "modern era" of Woodward Debate (2012-present). This list was last updated at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
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. Ashna Ghanate '22 — 1,477
10. Elizabeth Li '22 — 1,432
11. Sachi Reddy '21 — 1,425
12. Jack Hightower '22 — 1,381
13. Liliana Burgess '16 — 1,365
14. Alanna Pearson '18 — 1,359
15. Nishita Ghanate '20 — 1,329
16. Ali Abdullah '17 — 1,279
17. Callie Mitchell '23 — 1,198
18. Ria Thakur '22 — 1,167
19. Sahil Patel '15 — 1,158
20. Haarika Palarcharla '23 — 1,115
21. Alex Duner '13 — 1,095
22. Jay Yoon '23 — 1,061
23. Sam Wombough '20 — 1,058
24. Carson Bates '23 — 1,056
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