2025-2026

The following is a list of notable competitive accomplishments by Woodward debaters during the 2025-2026 season.

The topic is:

The United States federal government should significantly increase its exploration and/or development of the Arctic.

Woodward students are competing in a mix of in-person and online tournaments again this season.

Varsity Team Awards & Elimination Round Appearances

• 1st Place — Johns Creek (Aarush Hemachandran & Jason Huang)

• 1st Place — Alpharetta (Jason Huang & Ishan Sampat)

• Finalists — Westminster (Rishi Jain & Lane Tharp)

• 2nd Place — Midtown (Maisie Rainwater & George Sloan)

• 2nd Place — Northview (Noureen Chranya & Rebecca Yin)

• 2nd Place — Alpharetta (Ziva Effron & Maisie Rainwater)

• Semifinalists — TOC Digital Speech & Debate 1 (William Rieck & Lane Tharp)

• Semifinalists — Groves (Hannah Harrison & Ishan Sampat)

• Semifinalists (close-out) — Westminster (William Rieck & Evie Semaan)

• Semifinalists — Marist (Rishi Jain & Evie Semaan)

• Semifinalists — Marist (Audrey Dobranski & George Sloan)

• Semifinalists — Grapevine (Rishi Jain & Lane Tharp)

• 3rd Place — Northview (Aarush Hemachandran & George Sloan)

• 4th Place — Northview (Ishan Sampat & Tim Wang)

• 4th Place — Alpharetta (Audrey Dobranski & George Sloan)

• Quarterfinalists (close-out) — Groves (Rishi Jain & Evie Semaan)

• Quarterfinalists — Groves (Aarush Hemachandran & Tim Wang)

• Quarterfinalists — Groves (Jason Huang & Joy Xuan)

• Quarterfinalists — St. Mark's (Rishi Jain & Lane Tharp)

• Octafinalists (close-out) — Groves (Ziva Effron & Rebecca Yin)

• Octafinalists — Marist (Hannah Harrison & Lane Tharp)

• Octafinalists (close-out) — Marist (Avy Agrawal & William Rieck)

• Octafinalists — Grapevine (Sabina Cross & Evie Semaan)

• Double-Octafinalists — TOC Digital Speech & Debate 1 (Ishan Sampat & Tim Wang)

• Double-Octafinalists — University of Michigan (Rishi Jain & Lane Tharp)

• Double-Octafinalists — Grapevine (Avy Agrawal & William Rieck)

Varsity Individual Speaker Awards

• Top Speaker — Northview (Maisie Rainwater)

• Top Speaker — Westminster (Rishi Jain)

• Top Speaker — Marist (Lane Tharp)

• 2nd Speaker — Northview (Rebecca Yin)

• 2nd Speaker — Westminster (Lane Tharp)

• 3rd Speaker — Midtown (Sabina Cross)

• 3rd Speaker — Groves (Aarush Hemachandran)

• 3rd Speaker — Northview (Ziva Effron)

• 3rd Speaker — Alpharetta (Audrey Dobranski)

• 4th Speaker — Groves (Tim Wang)

• 4th Speaker — Alpharetta (George Sloan)

• 5th Speaker — Northview (Tim Wang)

• 5th Speaker — Alpharetta (Aarush Hemachandran)

• 6th Speaker — Groves (Hannah Harrison)

• 7th Speaker — Grapevine (Lane Tharp)

• 8th Speaker — Groves (Ishan Sampat)

• 8th Speaker — Marist (Evie Semaan)

• 8th Speaker — Alpharetta (Ishan Sampat)

• 10th Speaker — Groves (Evie Semaan)

• 10th Speaker — Westminster (Evie Semaan)

• 10th Speaker — Alpharetta (Maisie Rainwater)

• 11th Speaker — Groves (Rishi Jain)

• 11th Speaker — Marist (Hannah Harrison)

• 12th Speaker — Groves (Jason Huang)

• 12th Speaker — Marist (William Rieck)

• 13th Speaker — Marist (Rishi Jain)

• 14th Speaker — Marist (Avy Agrawal)

• 14th Speaker — Grapevine (Rishi Jain)

• 15th Speaker — TOC Digital Speech & Debate 1 (Lane Tharp)

• 15th Speaker — St. Mark's (Rishi Jain)

• 15th Speaker — Westminster (William Rieck)

• 17th Speaker — Groves (Joy Xuan)

• 19th Speaker — TOC Digital Speech & Debate 1 (William Rieck)

• 20th Speaker — Westminster (Sabina Cross)

Junior Varsity Team Awards & Elimination Round Appearances

Junior Varsity Individual Speaker Awards

Novice Team Awards & Elimination Round Appearances

• Co-Champions — Westminster (Dhanush Paladugu & Joy Xuan)

• 1st Place — Northview (Atas Agrawal & Navya Thotakura)

• 2nd Place — Lassiter (Navya Thotakura & Nethra Thotakura)

• Semifinalists — Groves (Navya Thotakura & Nethra Thotakura)

• 3rd Place — Alpharetta (Navya Thotakura & Nethra Thotakura)

• 4th Place — Lassiter (Liam Davis & Nicholas Skelton)

• 4th Place — Johns Creek (Atas Agrawal & Dhanush Paladugu)

Novice Individual Speaker Awards

• 2nd Speaker — Northview (Navya Thotakura)

• 4th Speaker — Lassiter (Nethra Thotakura)

• 4th Speaker — Westminster (Joy Xuan)

• 5th Speaker — Groves (Atas Agrawal)

• 5th Speaker — Alpharetta (Nethra Thotakura)

• 6th Speaker — Westminster (Dhanush Paladugu)

• 7th Speaker — Alpharetta (Navya Thotakura)

• 9th Speaker — Alpharetta (Dhanush Paladugu)

• 10th Speaker — Lassiter (Navya Thotakura)

• 13th Speaker — Marist (Navya Thotakura)

• 14th Speaker — Marist (Atas Agrawal)

• 18th Speaker — Marist (Nicholas Skelton)

• 20th Speaker — Marist (Joy Xuan)

Rookie Team Awards & Elimination Round Appearances

• 4th Place — Johns Creek (Liam Davis & Ram Fisher)

Rookie Individual Speaker Awards