Showcase Finalists & School Awards

View a recording of the announcement of Middle School Speech Challenge Awards here.

We recognize the top ten students or the top 10% of students, whichever is bigger, in each event of the Middle School Speech Challenge. Showcase winners are listed alphabetically by last name in each event. Congratulations to the following students, whose performances will appear on the NSDA website this summer!

Your 12 Showcase Finalists in Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge are:

Sophie Chia from Westridge School, CA

Emma Delgado from American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Shirley Doan from Albright Middle School, TX

Ashrith Kasinadhuni from Ernest Lawrence Middle School, CA

Enan Khan from Bak Middle School of the Arts, FL

Nicholas Ostheimer from A.D. Henderson University Middle School, FL

Jiya Patel from Gaspar de Portola Middle School, CA

Matthew Rovere from The Village Middle School, TX

Prahi Shah from Gaspar de Portola Middle School, CA

Emily Wang from Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, CA

Jake Zeng from American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Kristen Zhou from George V. Leyva Intermediate, CA

Your 15 Showcase Finalists in Declamation are:

Leo Billante from Almaden Country Day School, CA

Aashna Dialani from Parks Junior High, CA

Allison Ellis from Almaden Country Day School, CA

Hannah Greene from Almaden Country Day School, CA

Cat-Tam Huynh from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Catherine Ma from The Pike School, MA

Zindagi Malhotra from The Village Middle School, TX

Lesslie Manzo Moreno from MS Advanced Learning Academy, CA

Jiya Mutyala from Phoenix Country Day School, AZ

Shruthi Nagulapalli from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Sophia Nelson from Saint Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Sahiti Rayaprolu from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Owen Sun from Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, NJ

Evelyn Tsoi from Dana Middle School, CA

Emily Wang from Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, CA

Your 11 Showcase Finalists in Dramatic Interp are:

Nicole Blanco from The Village Middle School, TX

Catalina Cabello-Corona from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Britani Casanova from Sierra Preparatory Academy, CA

Gabe Grinsteinner from Beechwood Middle School, KY

Juliana Ibarra from Beechwood Middle School, CA

S.J. Jangam from Carroll Middle School, TX

Jane Leifer from Newtown Middle School, PA

Timothy Leung from Redwood Middle School, CA

Laura Morejon from Westpine Middle School, FL

Bianca Rios from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Adrianna Rodriguez from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Your 12 Showcase Finalists in Humorous Interp are:

Adam Alvarez from Tuloso-Midway Middle School, TX

Nicole Blanco from The Village Middle School, TX

Mia Carver from Rowan County Middle School, KY

Callum Hegarty from Milton Academy Middle, MA

Cat-Tam Huynh from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Zachary Kopelman from NSU University School Middle, FL

Adelaide Mosher from Marian Hope Academy Middle School, MO

Hannah Peters from Almaden Country Day School, CA

Bianca Rios from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Adrianna Rodriguez from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Kai Scharlin from Almaden Country Day School, CA

Rosa Troncoso from Democracy Prep Bronx Prep Middle School, NY

Your 10 Showcase Finalists in Informative Speaking are:

Brandon Chang from Walter Reed Middle, CA

Molly Cooper from Ladera Vista Junior High, CA

Samara Cuaresma from Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, D.C.

Michelle Fan from First Ave Middle School, CA

Amal Israilova from American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Hillary Kowitt from American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Ryan Rhee from Cope Middle School, CA

Prisha Singh from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Adam Stone from Charlotte Latin School, NC

Shirley Wu from Oak Avenue Intermediate, CA

Your 14 Showcase Finalists in Original Oratory are:

Michelle Fan from First Ave Middle School, CA

Emerson Forester from Westridge School, CA

Rusham Goyal from Saint Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Sreekarthikeya Kankala from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Timothy Leung from Redwood Middle School, CA

Lauren Low from Mesa Robels School, CA

Noemi Maciel from Beechwood Middle School, CA

Arav Santhanam from Charles E. Brown Middle, MA

Alyssa Spalek from Tuloso-Midway Middle School, TX

Aaryan Wadwekar from Phoenix Country Day School, AZ

Emily Wang from Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, CA

Shirley Wu from Oak Avenue Intermediate, CA

Haotong Xue from Beijing Harrow International School, China

Kristen Zhou from George V. Leyva Intermediate, CA

Your 10 Showcase Finalists in Original Spoken Word Poetry are:

Viviana Barajas from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Nicole Blanco from The Village Middle School, TX

Piya Gaonkar from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Vaani Gupta from The Village Middle School, TX

Cat-Tam Huynh from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Sophia Nelson from Saint Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Evelyn Tsoi from Dana Middle School, CA

Anoushka Vijay from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Emily Wang from Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, CA

Shirley Wu from Oak Avenue Intermediate, CA

Your 10 Showcase Finalists in Poetry are:

Samya Arora from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Viviana Barajas from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Catalina Cabello-Corona from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Emma Durham from Cabot Junior High South, AR

Adele Fuzaylov from Oak Middle School, MA

Tara Ghafouri from Phoenix Country Day School, AZ

Sophia Nelson from St. Mary's Hall, TX

Roger Shen from The Village Middle School, TX

Laird Stearns from Saint James Episcopal School, TX

Kaden Stone from Bardstown Middle School, KY

Your 10 Showcase Finalists in Prepared Mixed Extemp are: 

Safya Biswal from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Natalie Chen from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Michelle Fan from First Avenue Middle School, CA

Bhuvi Irigi from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Sreekarthikeya Kankala from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Michael Park from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Tej Patel from Gaspar de Portola Middle School, CA

Ellie Sohn from Flintridge Preparatory School, CA

Jake Zeng from American Heritage Broward Middle School, FL

Kristen Zhou from George V. Leyva Intermediate, CA

Your 16 Showcase Finalists in Prepared Prompt Speaking are:

Sohan Bhakta from St. Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Brandon Chang from Walter Reed Middle, CA

Natalie Chen from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Helen Fang from Kraemer Middle School, CA

Cat-Tam Huynh from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Bhuvi Irigi from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Kanon Iwata from Westridge School, CA

Pavitra Kasthuri from The Harker Middle School, CA

Genesis Mendez from Santiago K-8 School, CA

Audrey Messer from Heartland Charter School, CA

Tej Patel from Gaspar de Portola Middle School, CA

Reva Sobti from Robert C. Fisler Middle School, CA

Adam Stone from Charlotte Latin School, NC

Evelyn Tsoi from Dana Middle School, CA

Emily Wang from Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, CA

Chloe Zhong from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Your 20 Showcase Finalists in Pro Con Challenge are:

Zoe Becker from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Eleanor Brosowsky from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Natalie Chen from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Lucy Chong from Trinity Preparatory Middle School, FL

Miria Chung from Taipei American School, Taiwan

Samara Cuaresma from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Sreekarthikeya Kankala from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Clementine Kovacs from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Catherine Ma from The Pike School, MA

Tara Malhotra from Brentwood School Middle Division, CA

Pranya Nagpal from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Shruthi Nagulapalli from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Michael Park from Valley Preparatory School, CA

William Pfaffenroth from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Pasha Raoufi from Cope Middle School, CA

Sahiti Rayaprolu from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Soumya Sobti from Robert C. Fisler Middle School, CA

Churchill Tatton from Alice Deal Middle School, DC

Anoushka Vijay from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Grace Wu from Vancouver Debate Academy, BC

Your 10 Showcase Finalists in Program Oral Interpretation are:

Viviana Barajas from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Celeste Carmona from MacArthur Fundamental, CA

Natalie Chen from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Hikari Dao from Nicolas Junior High, CA

Daisy Guzman from Sierra Preparatory Academy, CA

Yahan Lin from Orange County School of the Arts, CA

Adrianna Rodriguez from Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences, TX

Ellie Sohn from Flintridge Preparatory School, CA

Adam Stone from Charlotte Latin School, NC

Emily Wang from Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate, CA

Your 13 Showcase Finalists in Prose are:

Nicole Blanco from The Village Middle School, TX

Camilla Butler from Milton Academy Middle, MA

Molly Cooper from Ladera Vista Junior High, CA

Andres Fernandez from St. Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Adele Fuzaylov from Oak Middle School, MA

Cat-Tam Huynh from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Riya Jampana from St. Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Mia Magana from Columbus Tustin, CA

Maria Lorraine Mercurio from Ladera Vista Junior High, CA

Amruta Patel from St. Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Roger Shen from The Village Middle School, TX

Aaliah Velasquez from Willard Intermediate School, CA

Mikaela Wong from Tuloso-Midway Middle School, TX

Your 10 Showcase Finalists in Storytelling are:

Maria Antunes from The Village Middle School, TX

Caroline Blake from Milton Academy Middle, MA

Caroline Carlisle from Rowan County Middle School, KY

Helen Fang from Kraemer Middle School, CA

Cat-Tam Huynh from Valley Preparatory School, CA

Chloe Kim from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Audrey Messer from Heartland Charter School, CA

Sahiti Rayaprolu from Chaboya Middle School, CA

Roger Shen from The Village Middle School, TX

Eliana Wyche from St. Mary's Hall Middle School, TX

Congratulations to our Schools of Excellence in the Middle School Speech Challenge. School points were awarded for top two ranks in each round of the challenge, capped at the top ten entries per school. The twenty Schools of Excellence for middle school, in alphabetical order, are:

Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, DC

Almaden Country Day School in California

American Heritage Broward Middle School in Florida

Chaboya Middle School in California

Gaspar de Portola Middle School in California

George V. Levya Intermediate in California

Gutierrez Middle School of Arts and Sciences in Texas

Milton Academy Middle in Massachusetts 

Parks Junior High in California

Phoenix Country Day School in Arizona

Pike School in Massachusetts

Redwood Middle School in California

Robert C. Fisler in California

Rowan County Middle School in Kentucky

Saint Mary’s Hall Middle School in Texas

Sierra Preparatory Academy in California

The Village Middle School in Texas

Tuloso-Midway Middle School in Texas

Valley Prep of Redlands in California

Westridge School in California

Congratulations to these Schools of Excellence and thanks for supporting middle school speech and debate!