Mind over chatter since 1920.
KY DEBATE STATE CHAMPIONS
A letter from longtime debate coach Dan Omlor, coach at 1972-1992 at Lafayette and Sayre Schools, explains that "Debate Sweepstakes" as we now know them began in 1975. However, the debate championship dates back to the first year of what we now consider KHSSL, 1921. When KHSSL Debate began, debate was a three-person team event (soon changed to two, an event much like Policy Debate.)
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE
2026-
Kyle Palmer
(Henry Clay)
2025 -
Ahaan Thomas
(Dunbar)
2024 -
Joshua Zyzak
(Beechwood)
2023-
Daksha Pillai
(Dunbar)
2022-
Julianne Sharpe
(Lafayette)
2021 -
Ayush Tibrewal
(Dunbar)
2020 -
Christian Butterfield
(Bowling Green)
2019 –
Nasim Mohammadzadeh
(Dunbar)
2018 –
Cooper Winrich
(Trinity)
2017 –
Callie Freeman
(Gatton Academy)
2016 –
Harper Anderson
(Rowan County)
2015 –
Harper Anderson
(Rowan County)
2014 –
Josi Stidham
(Hazard)
2013 –
Andrew McKinney
(Danville)
2012 –
Nate Johnson
(Danville)
2011 –
Nate Johnson
(Danville)
2010 –
Jamie Mohan
(Danville)
2009 -
Jared Rehberg
(Danville)
2008 -
Sebastian Pyrek
(Danville)
2007 -
Quentin Johnson
(Graves County)
2006 -
Kevin Smiley
(Danville)
2005 -
Chad Reese
(Scott County)
2004 -
Logan Scisco
(Danville)
2003 -
Josh Brown
(Scott County)
2002 -
Joel Meister
(Danville)
2001 –
Simon Willett
(Scott County)
Student Congress was not a KHSSL event until 2001, but it appears that the NFL Congress was held with the KHSSL State events many times over the years.
EXTEMPORANEOUS DEBATE
2026-
Rylan Cole
(Atherton)
began 2026
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE
2026
Lukas Matson
(Lafayette)
2025
Olivia Zhang
(Dunbar)
2024
David Daniel
(Owensboro)
2023
Ariel Fader
(Ryle)
2022-
Co-Champions:
Chloe Sachs & Matthew Kotter
(Henry Clay)
2021-
Sadie Bograd
(Dunbar)
2020-
Jack Lofwall
(Henry Clay)
2019 –
Mark Hughes
(Trinity)
2018 –
Lydia Cardwell
(Assumption)
2017 –
Zach Sippy
(Henry Clay)
2016 –
Kayla Soren
(duPont Manual)
2015 –
Kayla Soren
(duPont Manual)
2014 –
Kayla Soren
(duPont Manual)
2013 -
Adnan Toric
(Fern Creek)
2012 –
Ben Swanson
(Henry Clay)
2011 –
Athie Livas
(Henry Clay)
2010-
Athie Livas
(Henry Clay)
2009 -
Derek VanDyke
(Fern Creek High School)
2008 -
Elizabeth Fryman
(Henry Clay)
2007 -
2006 –
Derek McMahan
(North Oldham)
2005 -
Chelsea Darnell
(Calloway Co.)
2004 -
Kelly Bickel
(Sacred Heart Academy)
2003 -
Joelle Perry
(Boone County)
2002 -
Adam Reeves
(Henry Clay)
2001 -
Emily Campbell
(Sacred Heart Academy)
2000 –
Laura Rees
(Daviess County)
1999 -
Randall Ewing
(St. Xavier)
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
Jonathan Westbrook
(South Oldham)
1995 –
Vanessa Varble
(Russellville)
1994 -
Doug Mory
(South Oldham)
1993 -
Andy Spears
(South Oldham)
1993 -
Alexis Royalty
(Murray)
1992 –
Alexis Royalty
(Murray)
1991 –
Paul Anschel
(Henry Clay)
1989 –
Scott Rose
(Murray)
1988 –
Matt Yuill
(Calloway County)
1987 -
Todd Couvillon
(Bullitt Central)
1986 –
Bruce Brightwell
(St. Xavier)
1985 –
Mike Keeling
(Calloway County)
1984 –
Charles Cella
(Murray)
1983 –
John Sheffield
(Jessamine County)
Began 1983
NOVICE LD
2026-
Harper Joaquin
(Assumption)
2025 -
Haasini Beeram
(Lafayette)
2024 -
Amay Xu
(Dunbar)
2023-
Ayeha Hamid
(Dunbar)
2022-
Co-Champions:
Ines Agbekpenou and Evelyn Dyer
(Henry Clay)
2021 -
Bella Galavotti
(Henry Clay)
2020-
Co-Champions:
Chloe Sachs and
Matthew Kotter
(Henry Clay)
2019 –
Kelly Helton
(Ryle)
2018 –
Co-State Champions: Sneha Amrit and
Sadie Bograd
(Henry Clay)
2017 –
David Vulakh
(Dunbar)
2016 –
Jacob Romines
(Trinity)
2015 –
Ria Jain
(DuPont Manual)
2014 –
Henry Walther
(Henry Clay)
2013 –
Co-State Champions:
Jack Hauersbarger and Spencer Henderson (Highlands Latin)
2012 –
Grant Forbes
(James Graham Brown)
2011 –
Adnan Toric
(Fern Creek)
2010 –
Ian Robinson
(Beechwood)
2009 -
Aly Badinger
(South Oldham)
2008 -
Helen Sauer
(Henry Clay)
2007 -
Hunter Kendrick
(Danville)
2006 -
Co-State Champions : Mallory Morehead and Ryan Kurz
(Henry Clay)
2005 -
Co-State Champions :
Ali Robbins and
Brian Huot
(Boone County)
2004 -
Chelsea Darnall
(Calloway County)
2003 -
Logan Scisco
(Danville)
2002 -
Josh Jones
(Boone County)
2001 -
Joelle Perry
(Boone County)
2000 -
1999 -
Ben Golden
(Daviess County)
1998 –
1997 -
1996 -
Ashley Hay
(South Oldham)
1995 –
1994 -
1993 -
Jonathan Westbrook (South Oldham)
1992 –
Ben Self
(Dunbar)
1991 –
Kyra Greene
(Paducah Tilghman)
NOVICE PF
2026 -
Aryan Rana and
Aaron George
(Dunbar)
2025 -
Ekansh Gupta and
Shiven Dhar
(Dunbar)
2024 -
Matthew Hancock and
Christopher Chen
(Lafayette)
2023-
Ian Beirle and
Hayden Deitz
(Trinity)
2022-
Puja Adhikari and
EP Cassidy
(Henry Clay)
2021 -
Emery Elkinson and Madeline Deep
(Henry Clay)
2020 -
Co-Champions:
Emily Hu and Daksha Pillai + Zoe Jenkins and
Nyasha Musoni
(Dunbar)
2019 –
Gabriella Staykova and Sanaa Kahloon
(Dunbar)
2018 –
Ashley Su and
Brian She
(Dunbar)
2017 –
Anna Goulson and
Luke Ralenkotter
(Henry Clay)
2016 –
Carly Crawford and
Jessica Parks
(Assumption)
2015 –
Kennedy Nodler and
Correna Tate
(Assumption)
2014 –
Grace Gardone and
Kailyn Deitz
(Assumption)
2013 –
Co-State Champions:
Eliza Devlin/Kait Petter and Brigit Gillespie/Raegan Davis (Assumption)
Began 2013
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE
2026-
Charlie Ellingsworth and
Xander Leavell
(Trinity)
2025 -
Ansel Erhardt and
Michael Fan (Dunbar)
2024-
Hannah Kang and
Maitri Patel
(Dunbar)
2023-
Karson Whitley and
Justine Lofwall
(Henry Clay)
2022-
Karson Whitley and
Justine Lofwall
(Henry Clay)
2021 -
Karson Whitley and
Justine Lofwall
(Henry Clay)
2020 -
Gus Colby and
Santiago O’Neil
(Henry Clay)
2019 –
Co-State Champions:
Samuel Clark/Jack Lofwall and Gus Colby/Santiago O’Neil (Henry Clay)
2018 -
Sahar Mohammadzadeh and Stephanie Yang
(Dunbar)
2017 –
Henry Walther and
Spencer Parsons
(Henry Clay)
2016 –
Kailyn Deitz and
Grace Gardone
(Assumption)
2015 –
Anthony Survance and
Robert Watson
(duPont Manual)
2014 –
Jasmine Liu and
Sahil Nair
(Dunbar)
2013 –
Nicole Nemec and
Franklin Starks
(Kentucky Country Day)
2012 –
Co-State Champions:
Humzah Qazi/Santiago DeLeon and
Andrew Brennan/Eric Xiong (Dunbar)
2011 -
Phoebe Ross and
Joe Weston
(Danville)
2010 –
Nick Roller and
Zach Orsello
(Ryle)
NOVICE POLICY
discontinued
(only held some years)
2016
Yesmina Townsley/Breland Finch (Henry Clay)
2009
Nelli Noel/Cody Murphy
(Grant Co.)
2008
Caitlin Lacey/Carly Lacey (Grant Co.)
1996
Kohn / Majid (Covington Latin)
1993
Holly King / Sara Reece (Louisville Eastern)
1992
Folk / Lyon (Henry Clay)
1991
Ellen Lord/Julie Brooks
(Henry Clay)
1987
Tiffany Triplett / Trevor Wells (Sayre)
1986
Chad Hurley / Trevor Wells (Sayre)
1985
Chad Hurley / Trevor Wells (Sayre)
DISCUSSION
discontinued
1982
Jeff Morgan
(Knott County)
1981
Thed Monroe
(Harrison County)
1980
Mark Spurling
(Taylor County)
1979
Bryan Cloyd
(Scott County)
1978
Joseph Tobin
(Saint Xavier)
1977
Al Curtis
(Trigg County)
1976
Karma Henderson
(Red Bird)
1975
Lezlee Bartholomy
(Murray)
1974
Minga Banks
(Sacred Heart)
POLICY DEBATE
discontinued
2021- Elodie Pittard/Ghazzal Hammad (Henry Clay)
2020 - Sam Merritt / Abby Gottesman (Henry Clay)
2019 - Sam Merritt / Abby Gottesman (Henry Clay)
2018 - Rebekah George / Valerie Pallos (Henry Clay)
2017 - Maverick Dziadkoviec / Brian Hinkle (Ryle)
2016 - Noah Fischer/Hunter Rice (Henry Clay)
2015 - Jack Hauersperger / Spencer Henderson (Highlands Latin)
2014 - Logan Crum/Spencer Henderson (Highlands Latin)
2010 - Brian Bickers/Ben Hackett (Beechwood)
2009 - Amanda Davis/Anna Leatherbee (Ryle High School)
2008 - Jacob DeLong/Andrew Muscha (Scott Co.)
2007 - Derek McMahan/Harrison Holcomb (North Oldham)
1996 - Javaheri / Langlitz (Covington Latin)
1993 - Dalton Lyon / Ellen Lord (Henry Clay)
1992 - Tinsley / Jeffries (Pleasure Ridge Park)
1991 - Kate Jones/Mary Neumann (Henry Clay)
1990 - Chad Hurley / Trevor Wells (Sayre)
1989 - Chad Hurley / Trevor Wells (Sayre)
1988 - Chad Hurley / Trevor Wells (Sayre)
1987 - Chad Hurley / John Weathers (Sayre)
1986 - Chuck McKee / John Ogden (Sayre)
1985 - Chuck McKee / Mark Endicott (Sayre)
1984 - Chuck McKee / Mark Endicott (Sayre)
1983 - Ted McCullough / Earl Wienbrenner (St. Xavier)
1982 - Ted McCullough / Earl Wienbrenner (St. Xavier)
1980 - Bill Campbell / Joe Ellis (Scott County)
1978 - Jim Carchedi / John Loheid (Covington Latin)
1977 - Steve Hawke/ Bryon Thompson (LaRue County)
1976 - LaRue County
1975 - LaRue County
1974 - Middlesboro
1973 - Union County
1972 - Waggener
1971 - Carol Snider/Pam Todd (Madisonville North Hopkins)
1970 - Madisonville North Hopkins
1969 - Jeff Lankford/Gary Scharff (St. Xavier)
1968 - Saint Xavier (Louisville)
1967 - Sacred Heart (Louisville)
1966 - Harrodsburg
1965 - Breckenridge Training
1964 - Bowling Green
1963 - Bowling Green
1962 - Paducah Tilghman
1961 - Bowling Green
1960 - Paducah Tilghman
1959 - College High ( Bowling Green)
1958 - Middlesboro
1957 - Paducah Tilghman
1956 - Hopkinsville
1955 - Mayfield
1954 - Madisonville
1953 - Harrodsburg
1952 - Frankfort
1951 - Winchester
1950 - Winchester
1949 - Winchester
1948 - Winchester
1947 - Madisonville
1946 - Madisonville
1945 - Louisville (Saint Xavier)
1944 - Shelbyville (Shelby County)
1943 - Maysville (Mason County)
1942 - Corbin
1941 - Lexington (Henry Clay)
1940 - Winchester
1939 - Lexington (Henry Clay)
1938 - Shepherdsville
1937 - Middlesboro
1936 - Augusta Tilghman (Paducah)
1935 - Louisville (Saint Xavier)
1934 - Lone Oak
1933 - Reidland
1932 - Covington Holmes
1931 - Berea College Academy
1930 - Bellevue
1929 - Clarkson
1928 - Lexington
1927 - Benton
1926 - Somerset
1925 - Paris
1924 - Hopkinsville
1923 - Dry Ridge
1922 - Madisonville
1921 - Lexington