National Speech & Debate Association Announces 2021 National Speech & Debate Champions

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National Speech & Debate Association

Jun 21, 2021, 10:55 ET

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) is proud to announce the 2021 National Speech & Debate Tournament champions. Following a week of intense online competition between 6,671 high school students from 1,422 schools, 32 students were declared winners from 25 different competitive speaking events at the National Tournament.

Find the full list of champions here.

The 32 students who won their event at the 2021 National Speech & Debate Tournament.

At the 2021 National Tournament, students debated tough topics, covering criminal justice reform, civil liberties during public health emergencies, and the impact of social media on democratic values. Other championship performances focused on critical issues like the problems with the current U.S. healthcare system, the history of police and race, gender stereotypes, and more.

"Every year, our National Champions prove that students who participate in speech and debate have a superpower that they can use to change the world," said J. Scott Wunn, Executive Director of the National Speech & Debate Association. "This year, these champions showed that a global pandemic that shuttered schools wouldn't stop them from making their voices heard. We can't wait to hear what comes next for these future leaders."

The NSDA was also proud to present journalist Tom Llamas with the 2021 Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. Llamas was previously the weekend anchor for World News Tonight on ABC News, and now serves as an anchor and senior national correspondent for NBC News.

"Speech and debate has played such a big role in my life," said Llamas. "The skills I picked up in speech and debate have stayed with me to this day. As a former competitor, I can't express enough how important, how fun, and how impactful these moments in your life will be."

Download photos from the National Tournament here.

About the National Speech & Debate Association
The National Speech & Debate Association is the authority on public speaking and debate in the United States. The Association builds the infrastructure for speech and debate competitions around the world by providing topics, educational resources, and training for students and coaches. For nearly 100 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has built a platform for youth voices that culminates in the National Tournament, the largest academic competition in the world. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org.

SOURCE National Speech & Debate Association