State Championships in Georgia
Speech & Debate in Georgia has a twisted history of governing bodies. Until 2011, the Georgia High School Association governed Varsity Policy Debate and Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking events as a part of their Literary programming while the Georgia Forensic Coaches Association (GFCA) governed all over events (including novice and junior varsity events). In 2011, the GFCA took over all events and added a Varsity State Championship that they host each March. The GHSA still holds an Extemporaneous Speaking State Championship as a part of their Literary State Championships. In 2024, the GISA started holding a state championship in public forum debate for independent schools in Georgia.
History of Tournaments
Georgia High School Association
Four Person Policy Debate State Championships
(1983-2010)
Georgia High School Association
Literary State Championships
(1983-Present)
Georgia Forensic Coaches Association
First & Second Year State Championships
(2002-Present)
Georgia Forensic Coaches Association
Varsity State Championships
(2011-2017, 2024)
Georgia Forensic Coaches Association
Supplemental State Championships
(2024-Present)
Georgia Independent School Association
Public Forum State Championship
(2024-Present)
NOTABLE TEAM RESULTS
1st Place
1999, Paul Vickery '99
GHSA Boys Extemporaneous Speaking
2002, Marcus Miller '02
GHSA Boys Extemporaneous Speaking
2009, Eric Eichelberger '12 & Claire Mills '12
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2010, Claire Mills '12, Libby Mandarino '12, Andrew Roberts '12 & Sydney Chung '12
GHSA Varsity Policy Debate
2010, Libby Mandarino '12
GHSA Girls Extemporaneous Speaking
2012, Libby Mandarino '12
GHSA Girls Extemporaneous Speaking
2012, John Niedzwiecki '12 & Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2013, Sydney Apple '15 & Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2014, Luis Bowen '18 & Drew Sherman '18
AUDL Middle School Policy Debate
2014, Chandler Apple '14
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2014, Sydney Apple '15 & Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2015, Liam Kirchner '16
GFCA First Year Humorous Interpretation
2015, Katie Hopkins '16 & Michael Torpy '17
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2016, Thomas Vance '17
GHSA Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking
2017, Mason Bussey '17 & Craig Cronin '17
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2017, Liam Mullican '17
GFCA Varsity Lincoln Douglas
2021, Josh Escayg '23 & Keegan Leary '23
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2022, Matthew Horne '24 & Aman Haileyesus '23
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2023, Faiza Khaled '25
GFCA First/Second Year Program Oral Interp
2023, Ephrata Tesfaye '26 & Michelle Lee '26
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2024, Sienna Reams '24
GFCA First & Second Year Impromptu Speaking
2024, Matthew Horne '24 & William Mastella '28
GISA Public Forum State Championship
2024, Faiza Khaled '25
GFCA Varsity Program Oral Interp
2024, Elizabeth McCall '24
GFCA Supplemental Poetry Reading
2024, Logan Bjerke '25 & Charlie Parker '25
GFCA Supplemental Duo Interp
2024, Ephrata Tesfaye '26
GFCA Supplemental Commentary
2024, Ephrata Tesfaye '26
GFCA Supplemental Spoken Word
2024, Nick Powell '28
GFCA Supplemental Expository
2024, Faiza Khaled '25
GFCA Supplemental Declamation
2nd Place
2002, Whitney Boughton '02, Joan Hoedeman '04, Marcus Miller '02, Sofia Vickery '02,
GHSA Varsity Policy Debate
2003, Christina Hagan '04, Matea Bozja '05, Phillip Hairston '05, & Melissa Houle '05
GHSA Varsity Policy Debate
2011, Alex Brown '14 & Brendan Phillips '14
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2012, John Niedzweicki '12
GHSA Boys Extemporaneous Speaking
2013, Chandler Apple '12
GHSA Boys Extemporaneous Speaking
2015, Niko Battle '19
GFCA First Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2015, Sydney Apple '15 & Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2015, Thomas Vance '17
GHSA Boys Extemporaneous Speaking
2016, Anna Price '18
GFCA First Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2016, Mason Bussey '17 & Connor Fraundorf '17
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2016, Liam Kirchner `16
GFCA Varsity Original Oratory
2016, Caswell King '19
GFCA First Year Humorous Interpretation
2016, Liam Kirchner '16
GFCA Varsity Humorous Interpretation
2018, Andrew Zach '18
GHSA International Extemporaneous Speaking
2024, William Mastella '28 & Nick Powell '28
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2024, Ephrata Tesfaye '26
GFCA Varsity Original Oratory
2024, Logan Bjerke '25
GFCA Varsity Informative Speaking
2024, Faiza Khaled '25
GFCA Supplemental Poetry Reading
2024, Kaitliyn Escayg '26 & Ephrata Tesfaye '26
GFCA Supplemental Duo Interp
2024, Maxwell Watkins '26
GFCA Supplemental Commentary
2024, Faiza Khaled '25
GFCA Supplemental Expository
3rd Place
2010, Sydney Chung '12 & Andrew Roberts '12
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2012, Jackie Chung '14 & Ryan Marinos '14
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2015, Mackenzie Childs '18
GFCA First Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2015, William Ross '18 & Andrew Zach '18
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2015, Duvall Adair '17 & Thomas Vance '17
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2015, Mason Bussey '17 & Connor Fraundorf '17
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2015, Liam Kirchner '16
GFCA First Year Original Oratory
2016, Connor Fraundorf '16 & Jake Pigott '16
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2016, Noah Mengisteab '18
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2016, Katie Hopkins '16 & Michael Torpy '17
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2016, Zoe Elledge '18 & William Ross '18
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2016, Liam Mullican '17
GFCA Second Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2017, Thomas Vance '17
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2017, Duvall Adair '17 & Thomas Vance '17
GFCA Varsity Policy Debate
2017, Anna Price '18
GFCA Second Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2018, Gigi Sedeno '21 & Sophie Verska '20
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2019, Ber Erwin '21 & James Paine '21
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2019, Maggie Nahas '22 & Sophie Verska '20
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2020, Ian Chung '22 & Lianna Homrich '22
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2024, Ephrata Tesfaye '26 & Michelle Lee '26
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2024, Ryan Baldwin '28 & Grayson Zeigler '29
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2024, Aman Thakur '29 & Jacob Scherrer '29
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2024, Sienna Reams '24
GFCA Varsity Impromptu Speaking
2024, Elizabeth McCall '24 & Maxwell Watkins '26
GFCA Supplemental Duo Interp
2024, Evan Arena '26
GFCA Supplemental Commentary
2024, Faiza Khaled '25
GFCA Supplemental Spoken Word
2024, Yasmin Jean-Pierre '27
GFCA Supplemental Prose
2024, Sienna Reams '24
GFCA Supplemental Declamation
STATE DEBATE QUARTERFINALISTS
2013, Noah Mengisteab '16 & Fred Torpy '15
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2014, Ananya Malhotra '16 & Jack Morris '14
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2014, Bailey Hall '16 & Lauren Tolbert '16
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2015, Bailey Hall '16 & Lauren Tolbert '16
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2015, Zoe Elledge '18 & Drew Sherman '18
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2016, Katie Hopkins '16 & Noah Mengisteab '16
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2016, Andrew Zach '18 & Drew Sherman '18
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2018, Drew Sherman '18
GFCA Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate
2018, Henry Bieze '20 & Will Sjostrom '20
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2018, Julian Gaffga '21 & Anthony Ovadje '21
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2020, Gabe Acevedo '21 & Josh Escayg '23
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2020, Will Fligg '23 & Keegan Leary '23
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2022, Casey Czerniawski '25 & Kaitlin Algeo '25
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2023, Caroline Hamrlik '26 & Maxwell Watkins '26
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2023, Ava Grenier '26 & Kaitlyn Escayg '26
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2024, Matthew Horne '24 & Kaitlyn Escayg '26
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
STATE DEBATE OCTOFINALISTS
2010, Monica Villareal '12 & Christy Winer '12
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2010, Owen Aust '12 & Andres Marcuse-Gonzales '12
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2012, Claire Mills '12 & Rachel Thurston '12
GFCA Varsity Policy Debate
2012, Sydney Chung '12 & Libby Mandarino '12
GFCA Varsity Policy Debate
2015, Bailey Hall '16 & Lauren Tolbert '16
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2015, Katie Hopkins '16 & Ananya Malhotra '16
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2015, Hannah Koenraad '16 & Connor Fraundorf '17
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2016, Duvall Adair '17 & Thomas Vance '17
GFCA Varsity Policy Debate
2016, Campbell Huber '19 & Garrett McCarthy '19
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2017, Mackenzie Childs '18
GFCA Varsity Lincoln Douglas
2017, Rachel Lee '18
GFCA Varsity Lincoln Douglas
2020, Kurt Dames '21 & Brayden Miller '21
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2020, Ber Erwin '21 & Melissa Valencia '22
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2021, Matthew Horne '24 & David Kleinrock '23
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2021, Joey Feeney '24 & Elizabeth McCall '24
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2022, Logan Bjerke '25 & Charlie Parker '25
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
STATE SPEECH FINALISTS
2014, Brandon Fountain '15 (5th Place)
GFCA Varsity Impromptu Speaking
2014, Brandon Fountain '15 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Original Oratory
2015, Liam Kirchner '16 (6th Place)
GFCA Varsity Humorous Interpretation
2015, Brandon Fountain '15 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Original Oratory
2016, Caswell King '19 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Humorous Interpretation
2017, Emma Federer '17 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Program of Oral Interpretation
2017, Paul Plaia '18 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Impromptu Speaking
2017, Paul Plaia '18 (9th Place)
GFCA Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking
2018, Paul Plaia '18 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Extemporaneous Speaking
2018, Paul Plaia '18 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Impromptu Speaking
2023, Sienna Reams '24 (6th Place)
GFCA First/Second Year Informative Speaking
2024, Sienna Reams '24 (5th Place)
GFCA First/Second Year Informative Speaking
2024, Sienna Reams '24 (5th Place)
GFCA Varsity Informative Speaking
2024, Charlie Parker '25 (6th Place)
GFCA Varsity Original Oratory
2024, Faiza Khaled '25 (6th Place)
GFCA Varsity Impromptu Speaking
2024, Sienna Reams '24 (5th Place)
GFCA Supplemental After Dinner Speaking
2024, Carson Algeo '27 (4th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Declamation
2024, Charlie Parker '25 (5th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Declamation
2024, Kaitlyn Escayg '26 (6th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Declamation
2024, Matthew DiBiase '24 (5th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Expository
2024, Sienna Reams '24 (4th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Original Spoken Word
2024, Kaitlyn Escayg '26 (6th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Original Spoken Word
2024, Liam Findley '28 (4th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Commentary
2024, Maxwell Watkins '26 (6th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Pro Con Challenge
2024, Kailyn Fernandez '27 (5th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Broadcasting
2024, Carly Kritzer '24 (6th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Broadcasting
2024, Carson Algeo '27 (4th Place)
GFCA Supplemental Storytelling
STATE STUDENT CONGRESS FINALISTS
2013, Matthew Murphy '15 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2014, Brandon Fountain '15 (5th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2015, Brandon Fountain '15 (5th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2015, Noah Mengisteab '16 (8th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2016, Liam Kirchner '16 (4th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2016, Hannah Koenraad '16 (7th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2016, Paul Plaia '18 (8th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2016, Clay Davis '16 (9th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2017, Connor Fraundorf '17 (5th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2017, Paul Plaia '18 (6th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2017, Mason Bussey '17 (7th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2017, Drew Sherman '18 (9th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
2022, Josh Escayg '23 (6th Place)
GFCA Varsity Congressional Debate
NOTABLE SPEAKER AWARDS
1st Place
2013, Fred Torpy '15
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2013, Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2014, Bailey Hall '16
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate
2015, Sydney Apple '15
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2016, Katie Hopkins '16
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2016, Liam Mullican '17
GFCA Second Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2019, Sophie Verska '20
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2019, Anthony Ovadje '21
GFCA Second Year Policy Debate
2024, Matthew Horne '24
GISA Public Forum Debate
2nd Place
2015, Mackenzie Childs '18
GFCA First Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2016, Katie Hopkins '16
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2021, Josh Escayg '23
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2024, William Mastella '28
GISA Public Forum Debate
3rd Place
2014, Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2015, Liam Torpy '15
GFCA Varsity Public Forum Debate
2015, Zoe Elledge '18
GFCA First Year Policy Debate
2016, Connor Fraundorf '17
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2016, Anna Price '18
GFCA First Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
2019, Maggie Nahas '22
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2021, Keegan Leary '23
GFCA Second Year Public Forum Debate
2024, Grayson Zeigler '29
GFCA First Year Public Forum Debate