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, much like our current Policy Debate.)
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE
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.
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE
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 – 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
POLICY DEBATE
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)
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
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE
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)