Season 2025-26

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Rice Speech and Debate Wins 58 Awards in Fall 2025!

Rice’s Speech and Debate competitors are out there across the nation representing Rice with their usual commitment to eloquence, performance, and advocacy! Below is an update on the team’s accomplishments so far this fall.

Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association, Tyler, TX, November 8-9

Part 1:

Vedant Khadiya: 2^nd Extemporaneous Speaking, 7^th Impromptu Speaking 
Reed Zimmerman: 5^th After-Dinner Speaking
Maria Barajas: 1^st Place Novice Extemporaneous Speaking

Part 2:

Reed Zimmerman: 3^rd After-Dinner Speaking 
Vedant Khadiya: 3^rd Impromptu Speaking

University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, November 1-2 

Special Award: Perpetual Sweepstakes Champion!

This is a multi-year measure of points accumulated over time. Rice Last won this award in 2013.

Sweepstakes 2^nd Place

Nikki Stancik and Kyle Sanderfer: 1^st Place, Parliamentary Debate
William Wang and Ridhi Dondeti: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Rohan Gupta and Travis Johnson: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Molly Wladis and Madeliene Yuan: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Speaker Awards: 

Nikki Stancik: 3^rd Overall Debate Speaker
Kyle Sanderfer: 8^th Overall Debate Speaker
Karen Tang: 9^th Overall Debate Speaker 

Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, October 11-12

Overall Sweepstakes: 3^rd Place

Molly Wladis and Madeliene Yuan: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Lawrence Jin and Karen Tang: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate
William Wang and Ridhi Dondeti: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Rohan Gupta and Travis Johnson: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Nikki Stancik and Kyle Sanderfer: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Speaker Awards:

Kyle Sanderfer: 10^th Overall Debate Speaker
Madeleine Yuan: 9^th Overall Debate Speaker
Nikki Stancik: 8^th Overall Debate Speaker
Rohan Guopta: 7^th Overall Debate Speaker
Travis Johnson: 1^st Overall Debate Speaker

 

Rice University Classic, Rice, September 27-28

 

Rice hosted this annual event, welcoming more than 100 visitors to campus. Coaches and students pulled double-duty, competing, tabulating, and running the event. 

Swing Sweepstakes: 1^st Place 

Part 1:

Sweepstakes: 1^st Place 

Vedant Khadiya: 7^th Extemporaneous Speaking
Nikki Stancik and Kyle Sanderfer: 1^st Place, Parliamentary Debate
Rohan Gupta and Travis Johnson: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Ridhi Dondeti and William Wang: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Lawrence Jin and Karen Tang: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Madeleine Yuan and Molly Wladis: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate
Nikki Stancik: 2^nd Overall Debate Speaker
Lawerence Jin: 3^rd Overall Debate Speaker
Karen Tang: 4^th Overall Debate Speaker
Kyle Sanderfer: 8^th Overall Debate Speaker

Part 2:

Sweeps: 5^th Place

Chloe Pesqueira 3^rd Impromptu Speaking, 5^th Informative Speaking
Daijah Wilson: 6^th Dramatic Interpretation, 7^th Prose Interpretation

Hill Country Swing, Texas State University and University of Texas, September 20-21 

Swing Sweepstakes: 1^st Place 

Vedant Khadiya: 1^st Place Top Swing Speaker

Part 1: 

Sweepstakes 2^nd Place 

Vedant Khadiya: 1^st Informative Speaking, 2^nd Persuasive Speaking
Daijah Wilson: 2^nd After Dinner Speaking

Part 2:

Sweepstakes 2^nd Place 

Vedant Khadiya: 1^st Persuasive Speaking, 2^nd Impromptu Speaking, 2^nd Informative Speaking, 3^rdExtemporaneous Speakin
Daijah Wilson: 2^nd After Dinner Speaking, Finalist Dramatic Interpretation
Shay Olaifa: 4^th Poetry Interpretation

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors!

Rice Speech and Debate is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove.