OHS Speech & Debate team wins Best in Debate; headed to Nationals

Published 1:29 pm Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Oxford High School won Best in Debate at the annual state championship event, presented by the Mississippi High School Activities Association, and held at Millsaps College in Jackson on April 25-26.

OHS and other participating member schools of the MHSAA, fiercely competed in the tournament, which consisted of several debate events, including Public Forum Debate, Policy Debate, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. 

There was also a fourth debate event, the Congressional Debate, which took place on April 4-5, as well as 14 speech-oriented events.

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OHS picked up a number of other accolades, including multiple individual sweeps, debate awards – covering topics like policy, and public forum – as well as a heap of honors in the speech category. 

The state champs are headed to the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament in Chicago, IL, on April 25-26 and the 100th Annual National Speech and Debate Association Tournament Des Moines, IA on June 15-20.

Awards included:

Individual Sweeps

Tommy Nichol, First place

Max Hill, fourth place

Debate

Policy:

Semifinalists – Max Milinovich, Jasper Parsons, Amr Elgohry and Gavin Jackson

Quarterfinalist: Ahmed Belal and Nathaneal Hom

 

Public Forum:

Finals closeout- Tommy Nichol, Max Hill, Sasha McGinness and Yewon Woo

 

Semifinalists- Lilly Schornhorst and Hugh Wilson

 

Quarterfinalists- Sadie Gray and Ghaith Alhusban

 

Lincoln Douglas:

Semifinalists- Renad Radwan

 

Quarterfinalist- Hannah Oommen

 

Congress:

Tommy Nichol, first place

 

Speech

Humorous Interpretation:

Max Hill, second place

 

Duo Interpretation:

Ann Hunter Bigham and Alice Dabbs, third place

 

Duet Interpretation:

Hugh Wilson & Thomas Ray, second place

 

Extemporaneous Speaking:

Max Hill, fourth place

 

Impromptu Speaking:

Tommy Nichol, second place

 

Informative Speaking:

Macon Harrell, fifth place

 

Original Oratory:

Tommy Nichol, second place

 

Story Telling:

Yewon Woo, second place

Sienna Reilly, third place

5th- Helen Smith, fifth place

 

Expository Speaking:

Eden Bass, second place

Helen Smith, fourth place